50% of Mumbai coaching classes may shut if bill passed in current form

MUMBAI: “The new draft bill for coaching classes doesn't seem to want to regulate us but rather simply shut us down. If the bill is passed in its current form, at least 50% of all coaching classes will shut down,” said Dilip Mehendale, president of the Association of Coaching Class Owners and Mentors, on the Maharashtra Private Coaching Centers (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2026, which has been released to the public for suggestions till September 4.The bill has been many years in the making, with demands for regulating the coaching classes sector stretching back at least 20 years. The bill caps teaching at five hours a day, completely bars enrolment of students below the age of 13, requires a minimum of one square metre of built-up space per student and prohibits segregation of students based on performance. The latter is a common practice among coaching classes, where students are typically divided into three to four levels based on performance.