In a landmark move to address the growing mental health crisis among young learners, the Maharashtra government has rolled out its first comprehensive set of guidelines aimed at reducing academic and other forms of stress faced by school-going children. Significantly, these rules will be binding not just on schools but also on the vast and largely unregulated private coaching class industry.
Directives Follow Supreme Court Concerns
The Government Resolution (GR), issued on January 9, 2026, comes in response to mounting concerns and complaints about escalating stress levels among students. The state's decision aligns with recent directives from the Supreme Court, which has emphasized the need for systemic intervention. As part of this broader framework, Maharashtra will also initiate a formal registration process for private coaching classes, with detailed procedures to be announced soon.
Key Mandates for Schools and Coaching Centers
The guidelines introduce several concrete measures designed to create a more supportive educational environment. A cornerstone of the policy is the mandate for appointing qualified counsellors. Educational institutions with 100 or more students must employ at least one full-time counsellor or psychologist. Smaller institutions must establish formal referral ties with external mental health professionals.
All schools and coaching classes are required to prominently display mental health service information and suicide prevention helpline numbers in classrooms, common areas, and hostels. Furthermore, in a move to build institutional capacity, all teaching and non-teaching staff must undergo two mental health training sessions every year. This training will equip them to provide psychological first aid, identify warning signs, and respond to incidents of self-harm.
Specific Crackdown on Coaching Institute Practices
The GR lays down strict operational rules for private coaching institutes, notorious for grueling schedules. They must now ensure a balanced timetable that guarantees students adequate rest. This includes enforcing one weekly holiday, no tests immediately after a weekly off, holidays for local festivals, and a cap on daily coaching hours at five. Classes cannot be scheduled very early in the morning or late at night.
In a first, coaching centers are directed to organize regular co-curricular activities focused on life skills, mental well-being, creativity, physical fitness, and environmental awareness. They are also prohibited from displaying test results or rankings and must clearly inform parents and students that enrollment does not guarantee success in competitive exams like engineering and medical entrance tests. Each institute has been given a one-month deadline to set up an internal grievance redressal mechanism.
District Collectors to Lead Grievance Redressal
Beyond preventive measures, the state is establishing a robust monitoring and complaint mechanism. District-level committees, headed by the district collector, will be formed to address complaints related to student stress. These panels will include senior officials from the education, health, and women and child welfare departments, alongside social workers and child psychologists.
The guidelines have sparked a response from the coaching industry. Bandopant Bhuyar of the State Consortium of Coaching Teachers and Institutes in Maharashtra acknowledged the mandate as the first of its kind. He suggested that if directives are to be made mandatory for coaching institutes, their representatives should also have a seat on the relevant committees.
This comprehensive policy marks a significant shift in Maharashtra's approach to student welfare, moving beyond academic outcomes to holistically address the well-being of its young population.
