Bengaluru: In what could be a major crackdown on high-pressure coaching centres, Karnataka govt has issued draft rules barring children under the age of 15 from enrolling in private coaching institutes and restricting daily tutorial operations to fixed hours between 6am and 9pm.
The proposed Karnataka Tutorial Institutions or Coaching Centre (Registration and Regulation) Rules, 2026, notified by the higher education department Wednesday, aim to curb rising academic stress, misleading advertisements, and non-refundable fee traps. Under the draft norms, private coaching centres are strictly prohibited from admitting students who are below 15 years of age or who have not completed their secondary school (class 10) exams.
“The time of operation of the tutorial institutions shall be between 6am and 9pm,” the official notification states, adding that classes cannot be scheduled at unreasonably early or late hours. “Keeping assessment tests confidential, they should be used for regular analysis of student performance… and the student whose performance is deteriorating should be provided counselling as per the provisions of these guidelines,” the draft states. To prevent exhaustion and mental pressure among young learners, the state has capped total daily coaching — inclusive of tests, revision, and doubt-clearing sessions — to a maximum of five hours. Furthermore, institutes cannot conduct classes during regular school or college hours, to prevent nominal attendance in mainstream schools. Coaching centres also cannot make public the results of assessment tests, either within or beyond their premises.
This draft will replace the Karnataka Tutorial Institutions (Registration & Regulation) Rules, 2001. Members of the public can send recommendations within 15 days of publication of the draft. In addition, the rules introduce an easy exit policy: if a student drops out or withdraws early, the institution must refund the advance fee for the remaining duration on a pro-rata basis within 10 days. Hostel and mess fees must also be refunded promptly. * Registration fee of Rs 15,000 + Rs 5,000 for each course
Addressing long-standing complaints from parents regarding exorbitant advance payments, the new regulations mandate that coaching centres cannot collect the entire course fee in a single upfront lump sum. Instead, they must offer parents the option to pay in at least four equal instalments.