CCA accuses Govt of killing private tuition industry

‘Present policy risks future of 50,000 students’

SRINAGAR: Coaching Centers Association (CCA) of Kashmir has accused the state government of trying to kill the coaching industry in Kashmir by employing anti-student policies.

According to a statement issued today the association termed the situation akin to ‘dark times’ for students who after being cheated in government sector under BOPEE and Prime Ministers Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) scandals were now being denied quality education in private sector too.

“There are some officials in the government who seems to be hell bent on destroying the massive coaching industry of Kashmir,” said G N Var Chairman CCA. “Coaching centre’s in Kashmir are being raided to pay 10 % sales tax, in addition of providing free coaching to 10 % of those students who belong to poor category.”

The association said that this kind of law is in vogue in India. “This is creating a dangerous situation as it will considerably increase the cost of tuition,” said Var. “We are ready to provide free education to deserving students, but the addition of taxes will amount to squeezing out the last remaining profit.”

Var said that there are around 550 coaching centres working in Kashmir and providing quality education to around 50,000 students. “This new policy has put the future of the majority of these 50,000 students at risk,” he said. “Most of them belong to middle class who are stretched to their limits in financial terms and any cost escalation will hit them hard.”

The Association also condemned the government for failing to streamline the vital sector by providing the promised formal registration. “We were given provisional registration till April 2013, with the promise of full registration after that,” said Var. “Seven months down the line they are still not giving us the registration papers and result is the complete uncertainty for future.”

The association blamed that certain concerned officials in connivance of businessmen from outside the state are trying to kill the coaching industry in Kashmir, to help outside coaching centres. “We fear this lobby wants to create such a situation where students would be forced to seek coaching outside the state, where the coaching centres will have a field’s day to exploit them,” said Var. Blaming the current mess in education sector on a lobby of few corrupt officials, the association said that coaching centres are being victimized for their role in unearthing of high profile scandals like BOPEE and Prime Ministers Special Scholarship scandal. “We did enormous work in helping to unearth both the scandals and now we feel we are being victimized for the same,” said Var.  

The association said that coaching centres have been imparting crucial education after the collapse of government education sector. “It is our biggest success story and we have helped the deserving students to achieve new heights,” said Var. “But some people don’t want that to happen and they simply want to douse our last hope.”