The Bihar government is moving towards stricter regulation of coaching institutes following a recent attack on a coaching centre in Patna. The state education department has already drafted the Bihar Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2026, which was posted on its website on May 11, inviting suggestions from stakeholders. The draft outlines comprehensive regulatory guidelines for coaching institutes across the state.
Registration Process and Fees
As per the draft Bill, every coaching institute must apply for registration with the district administration, which will form a registration committee. This committee will assess the infrastructure, student facilities, and amenities of each institute. Upon approval, the registration will be processed by the education department. Institutes must submit their applications within three months of the implementation of the regulations. The application fee is set at Rs15,000 per institute, and institutions with multiple centres must register each centre separately.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
After the Act comes into force, any person found running a coaching institute without registration will face a penalty of Rs1 lakh. If the fine is not paid within 15 days, the premises used for coaching will be attached, and the fine will be recovered as arrears of land revenue from the attached property.
Infrastructure and Safety Requirements
The regulations mandate that coaching centres must have sufficient infrastructure proportional to the number of students enrolled. Buildings must comply with fire safety codes, building safety codes, and local building bylaws. A fire and building safety certificate from the local body is required.
Concerns Over Space Norms
Academics have raised concerns about the space requirement per student prescribed in the Bill, which is only two square feet per student. This is significantly lower than the earlier 2010 regulation that mandated a minimum of one square metre (about 11 square feet) per student. Amit Vikram, patron of the state elementary teachers' association, suggested that coaching centres should provide sufficient space and adopt measures to ensure student safety, especially for girls.
