Coaching mafia in the name of CET: Growing deal of education in Haryana
The labyrinth of CET and the net of coaching
The speed at which coaching centres have sprung up in every street after the implementation of the CET examination in Haryana is not only proof of the commercialization of education but also a cruel exploitation of the helplessness of unemployed youth. Without any regulation, recognition, or quality, these institutes are engaged in selling the future of children. The government should take immediate cognizance of this and take steps towards establishing education as a service.
In a state like Haryana, where unemployment is the biggest concern of the youth, when the government announced a common entrance exam like CET (Common Eligibility Test), it came across as a golden opportunity. But the opportunity this system gave to the coaching mafia is now hollowing out the roots of education. Thousands of coaching institutes opened in the name of ‘CET Specialist’ in every village and city have turned education into a business and students into customers.
Deception in the name of education
As soon as CET made its presence felt, there was a flood of coaching centres. In every street and locality, people without any experience or subject expertise started selling the dream of “guaranteeing a government job”. Their posters and hoardings are full of misleading information like “100% success claim”, “students selected from the first batch”. The reality is that most of these institutes are neither registered nor recognized, nor do they have trained teachers.
The compulsion of unemployed youth
The unemployment rate in the state is the highest in the country. The youth is looking towards the government, but the only way they are shown is through coaching centres. A middle-class or rural student pays a hefty fee of Rs 20–30 thousand, buys books and test series separately, and within a month, he realises that he was just another ‘customer’, not a ‘student’.
Education or fraud?
These coaching institutes neither have any clarity on the syllabus nor any scientific plan for exam preparation. Only rote-based questions from old government exams, some PDF notes, and a sham in the name of mock tests. The student spends the whole day and thousands of rupees, and only gets trapped in the circle of confusion.
Role and failure of the government
There is no clear guideline or monitoring mechanism from the education department or the examination authority as to which institute is allowed to run and which teacher is qualified. There is no license system, no complaint redressal mechanism. The government implements CET, but turns a blind eye to the accountability of the coaching mafia associated with it.
Is coaching necessary?
The question is, has coaching become mandatory for preparing for government jobs? If yes, then isn’t this proof of the failure of the government’s education system? And if not, then who gave the coaching institutes the right to “guarantee the future” to students?
The meaning of education is changing
Today, the aim of education is no longer knowledge, wisdom, and a sense of service. Now education is an ‘investment’ and job is its ‘return’. And this thinking has been promoted the most by the coaching industry. “Clear CET, then Group-C is sure” – such slogans have limited the energy and curiosity of the youth to just one line of examination.
When education becomes a business…
When education becomes a business, the biggest loss is suffered by poor and rural students. They have neither additional resources nor options. They think that if they pay the fees, they will probably get a job, but this ‘maybe’ itself becomes their biggest deception.
What is the solution?
1. Registration of coaching institutes should be made compulsory
– Quality, teacher qualification, and fee limit should be fixed.
2. The list of recognized coaching centers should be published on the government portal
– Students should know where it is safe to take admission.
3. The government should provide free online content for CET preparation
– E-Vidya portal, YouTube channel, free mock test facility.
4. A complaint mechanism should be in place
– Where students can complain about false advertising or misleading.
5. Teachers’ qualifications should be checked
– No person may teach with only commercial motives.
6. Tax and social audit should be implemented on coaching institutes
– So that education becomes transparent and accountable.
The path of the future
In a state like Haryana, CET could have been a good initiative if it had been accompanied by planned preparation and transparency. But at present, it has become a ‘golden opportunity’ for the coaching mafia and a ‘hard fraud’ for the students.
The need of the hour is that the government should not limit itself to conducting exams but also monitor their preparation, resources, and commercial exploitation associated with it. Education should be seen as a service, not a market product.
“Education is a resolution, not a deal. Competition is a struggle, not a hunt. Coaching should be a facility, not a compulsion.”
