Congress demands law to regulate coaching institutes

New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) During a discussion in Rajya Sabha on Monday, Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala demanded legislating a law to regulate fee structure, conditions of teachers as well as students and also their safety.

Participating in the discussion on the death of students in a coaching institute in Delhi due to alleged negligence of authorities, Surjewala said, "Why cannot coaching institutes be regulated? They may have a role to play. What would the government do to strengthen education?" He asked why cannot there be a law to regulate fee structure, condition of education, conditions of people who impart education as also those who receive education and safety conditions in the coaching institutes.

"I urge through you that the government should seriously have widespread deliberations with all stakeholders and bring a law to regulate coaching institutes in this country," he said.

Surjewala pointed towards commercialisation of education in the last 10 years and said everyone is shedding their responsibility.

There were 2.88 lakh private schools in 2014-15 and the number increased to 3.85 lakh in 2020-21, he stated.

He pointed that a parliamentary panel has said 10 lakh posts of teachers are vacant in schools, colleges and universities.

The government should have paid attention to the issues instead of promoting crony capitalism, he suggested.

Surjewala said 70 papers leaked in this government. He said 24 lakh people appeared in the NEET exam and several students in Gujarat and Haryana centres scored 720 out of 720 marks.

"How come is it possible that wherever papers are leaked and sold, the BJP rule is there?" he said.

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi who initiated the discussion, pointed towards the "laxities" of the Delhi Government's various departments.

"There were many complaints (against the institute). A student who complained to Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCDT) on June 26. He gave a reminder in July 22. In the meantime, the fire department gave NOC (no-objection certificate) for the use of the basement as storage." He also mentioned about the cleaning of slit and sludge in the sewage around the institute. He pointed towards the shortage of water in Delhi and said there was a Rs 74,000-crore debt on the Delhi Jal Board.

Trivedi demanded the Delhi government's reply on the quantum of increase in expenditure on the cleaning of sewage as well as on advertisements.

The BJP member mentioned the "poor" state of health services facilities in the Delhi government-run hospitals.

TMC MP Derek O'Brien asked the government whether it had addressed "commodification" of education in its National Education Policy (NEP).

He referred to an incident in Kota in Rajasthan where major fire broke out in the hostel of boys preparing for NEET and JEE and urged the government to allow to handle education only by people who understand education.

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said, "Had this incident happened in a NEET centre, what would have the treasury benches done? I dont know." He stated that the Delhi LG has all the powers in the national capital and only he should be held responsible (for this incident).

"The LG has all the powers. The chief minister of Delhi is just for namesake," he said.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh said it is the Centre regulates the coaching centres.

"The Delhi government ministers demanded cleaning of the sewage drains. But the officials did not pay any heed. This (incident) is the result of 15-year long MCD rule (of BJP) in Delhi," he said.

He urged the Rajya Sabha chairperson to hold discussions in the House also on NEET, Manipur violence and "infiltration" by China. PTI KKS KKS KSS KSS