In revised draft, govt panel suggests relief to coaching classes

In a major relief to coaching institutes across the state, the committee working on the Maharashtra Private Coaching Regulation Bill 2018 has decided to scrap some of the provisions in the draft bill that had been met with opposition from class owners. 

Among the amendments that the committee adopted on Monday is a provision that mandated coaching owners to give 5 per cent of their total income to the government. In the revised draft, it has been brought down to 1 per cent the total profit. The committee also decided to scrap one of the major provisions in the earlier draft – fixation and regulation of coaching class fees by the government. Instead, it has now suggested to the government to form a special council for mandating rules and regulations with respect to coaching classes. 

“Some of the provisions in the earlier draft were not as per the discussions that had taken place earlier. Provisions like giving a part of the income to the government were met with opposition and the committee has thus decided to scrap them in the meeting. A few more suggestions like having a body for coaching classes and keeping the ambit of the bill open for all sorts of coaching classes which is now limited upto class XII would also be included in the revised draft of the bill,” said Jagdish Walavalkar, a class owner and a member of the committee. 

The committee has also recommended increasing the permissible class strength from 80 to 120. “Junior colleges are allowed to have upto 120 students in each class and we feel that classes too should be allowed to do so” he said. 

The committee would now send the revised draft for the approval of the government following which the bill would be tabled in the assembly. 

SCRAPPED PROVISIONS

Coaching classes would be governed by the state with the government fixing and regulating their fees from time to time

Coaching classes must give 5% of their total income to the government

Class owners would face 2 years of rigorous imprisonment for flouting the norms

NEW PROVISIONS

Class owners would have to pay 1% of their total income to the government 

Formation of a separate body for coaching classes

Widening the ambit of the act to all coaching classes across the state