The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a writ petition seeking directions to regulate and ultimately remove the “unregulated, fee-driven private coaching” ecosystem operating across the country.

A bench comprising Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe dismissed the petition filed by Advocate Narendra Kumar Goswami, appearing as petitioner-in-person, in Narendra Kumar Goswami v. Union of India & Ors., W.P.(C) No. 808/2026.

During the hearing, the petitioner sought issuance of notice to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). However, the Supreme Court declined to entertain the plea, observing that such matters were not cases in which Article 32 of the Constitution should be invoked.

Plea Raised Concerns Over Coaching-Centric Education System

The petitioner had approached the Supreme Court alleging that the widespread private coaching ecosystem was resulting in violations of the fundamental rights of students across the country.

The petition relied upon the Central Consumer Protection Authority's Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisement in Coaching Sector, 2024, as well as reports of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) concerning the proliferation of so-called “dummy schools” and the increase in student suicides associated with academic and coaching pressure.

Particular reference was made to coaching hubs such as Kota, Rajasthan, where the petition alleged that intense coaching pressure had contributed to serious mental-health concerns among students.

Plea Sought Uniform National Framework for Coaching Centres

The petitioner sought formulation of a uniform national statutory framework for regulating private coaching centres.

Among the measures proposed were:

• A statutory cap on daily coaching hours for school-going children;

• Mandatory appointment of trained mental-health professionals and child counsellors at coaching centres;

• A prohibition on public humiliation of students as a pedagogical or disciplinary tool;

• Regulation of advertisements and claims made by coaching institutes;

• Measures to prevent the proliferation of dummy schools; and

• Greater coordination between school education and private coaching systems.

JEE, NEET, CLAT, CUET Exam Patterns Also Raised

The petition also highlighted the alleged disconnect between the school curriculum prescribed by States and the testing patterns followed in national-level entrance examinations.

It sought alignment of the curriculum and examination patterns of competitive examinations such as JEE, NEET, CLAT and CUET with the prescribed school syllabus, arguing that the existing system forces students to depend excessively on private coaching institutions.

Despite the concerns raised regarding the functioning of the private coaching ecosystem, the Supreme Court declined to entertain the petition under Article 32, and accordingly dismissed the writ petition.

Case Details

Case: Narendra Kumar Goswami v. Union of India & Ors.
Case No.: W.P.(C) No. 808/2026
Bench: Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe
Date: August 7, 2026