Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar recently raised strong concerns about how the booming coaching culture in India is becoming a major barrier to achieving the objectives set under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Speaking at a convocation ceremony, he emphasised that the growing dependence on coaching centres is not only undermining the formal education system but is also narrowing the purpose of learning itself. He highlighted the urgent need to bring the focus back on critical thinking, creativity and holistic development—key goals of the NEP.
I’m writing about this because the pressure of coaching and entrance exam preparation has become the new normal for many students, especially in urban areas. As someone who has seen how students often lose interest in learning for knowledge and focus only on clearing exams, I believe this conversation is long overdue. The NEP was introduced to reduce stress and promote diverse learning paths, but the reality on the ground seems to be moving in a different direction. By exploring what the Vice President said and the ground reality, we can reflect on where our education system is headed and whether the current coaching-driven culture truly helps our children in the long run.
Vice President’s Concerns on Coaching Culture
During his address, Vice President Dhankhar pointed out that coaching centres are increasingly dictating how students approach education. Instead of learning concepts through classroom teaching and engaging with subjects meaningfully, students are pushed into rote learning just to crack competitive exams. This trend, he said, defeats the purpose of a balanced education system as envisioned in the NEP.
He stated, “This unhealthy dependence on coaching undermines school education and lowers its credibility. It transforms education into a race for marks rather than a pursuit of knowledge.”
Why It Conflicts With NEP 2020
The National Education Policy 2020 was introduced with the vision of making education flexible, skill-based and rooted in real-life learning. Some of its core principles include:
- Emphasis on critical thinking and problem-solving
- Integration of vocational skills and art
- Multilingual education
- Reducing exam stress and high-stakes testing
- Encouraging curiosity, creativity and application-based knowledge
However, coaching institutes often contradict these goals by focusing solely on entrance exams like NEET, JEE or CUET, where success is determined by speed and accuracy under pressure—not by understanding or innovation.
The Pressure Students Face
Across the country, lakhs of students enrol in coaching hubs in places like Kota, Hyderabad and Delhi. Many live away from families and are pushed into rigorous routines from a very young age. Mental health concerns, burnout, and even tragic incidents like student suicides have repeatedly made headlines. Parents spend lakhs of rupees in the hope of securing their child’s future, but often without asking whether the child actually wants to pursue that path.
It’s a system that rewards test performance more than interest or talent.
What Needs to Change?
To align our education system with the goals of NEP, we need some real changes, such as:
- Strengthening school education so that students don’t feel the need for external coaching
- Making competitive exams more balanced, with a focus on real understanding
- Promoting alternative pathways like vocational training and skill development
- Training teachers to implement NEP’s ideas at the grassroots level
- Encouraging students to explore subjects without the fear of exams
