Amid a rise in student suicides linked to academic stress, a Parliament education Panel has decided to closely examine the rapid growth of coaching centers and the social issues tied to the competitive exam system.
The Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth, and Sports will also look into how new technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), are changing learning and affecting students.
Parliament education Panel review coaching centres again
A recent Lok Sabha bulletin detailed the committee’s agenda for 2025-26, which includes a review of the PM Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme. As part of its task, the panel will assess the spread of coaching institutions, the stress they create, and whether current rules are sufficient.
Concerns have grown after several suicides among students preparing for entrance exams. Many of these incidents reported from Kota in Rajasthan, which is the largest hub for coaching institutes in the country.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education formed a nine-member committee to examine issues around coaching culture, the rise of “dummy schools,” and the wider influence of entrance exams on school education.
Other areas under scrutiny
Along with these reviews, the parliamentary standing committee will look into the existing rules and practices that lead to school closures. It also evaluate how the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) operates and the initiatives to support education for linguistic and religious minorities.
The Parliament education Panel aim to request updates on the efforts to establish the Higher Education Council of India (HECI), a new regulatory body suggested under the National Education Policy. A bill to create the HECI, which is expected to replace the UGC, AICTE, and NCTE, is expected to introduced in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament, starting December 1.
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