Pune | September 9, 2026
The Professional Teachers Association of Maharashtra (PTAM) has opposed several provisions in Maharashtra’s proposed law to regulate private coaching classes, calling for changes to the proposed student-registration threshold and the planned blanket restriction on coaching children below the age of 13.
PTAM president Dr Prashant Kulkarni said at a press conference in Pune that coaching institutions should be subject to balanced and transparent regulation, but should not face excessive compliance requirements or provisions that could enable arbitrary administrative action. The association said the government should consult its representatives before finalising the legislation.
According to the report, the proposed framework includes a requirement linked to the registration of coaching classes with a limit of 25 students. PTAM has demanded that the limit be increased to more than 100 students for each branch. The association also said that home-based tutors and small coaching institutions should not be drawn into unnecessary regulatory procedures.
PTAM has sought the removal of a blanket ban on coaching for children below 13. It said parents should retain the right to decide whether their children attend coaching classes. The association argued that remedial education, foundational skills, Olympiad preparation, scholarship-examination preparation and other forms of age-specific academic support should not be prohibited outright.
The association’s position follows a reported direction from the High Court that the state government should hear PTAM’s representatives before introducing the proposed law, or explain why their submissions were not considered. PTAM alleged that the state government had not complied with the direction despite the association’s efforts to pursue consultations. The report does not include the text of the court order or a response from the state government.
PTAM said private coaching institutions provide academic support alongside formal education through individualised guidance, remedial and advanced teaching, examination preparation and specialised instruction. The association described the sector as an education partner and a source of employment in rural, semi-urban and urban areas.
The organisation also said any fee-refund rules should account for the expenditure already incurred by coaching institutions. These costs, it said, include educational materials, digital platforms, administrative operations, taxes, financial commitments to teachers and infrastructure. It further called for coaching centres to be classified according to their type and geographic area.
Dr Nitin Kadam, Vijay Pawar, Hanumant Bhosale, Pralhad Daund and Durgesh Mangeshkar were present at the press conference, according to the report. PTAM said it was preparing a draft model law and reiterated that it supported appropriate regulation while opposing provisions it considers disproportionate.
