Jaipur: Former LoP Rajendra Rathore said Wednesday the race among coaching institutes to produce “guaranteed” results laid the foundation for paper leak rackets in Rajasthan, while crediting the state assembly for enacting the Rajasthan Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Act, 2025.Speaking during the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly’s 75th foundation year celebrations, Rathore said the legislation was a progressive step to regulate an industry that has expanded rapidly across the state.“It was these ‘guaranteed batches’ that laid the foundation for paper leaks in Rajasthan. To maintain their success rates, some coaching institutes became part of the paper leak network,” he said.Rathore said parents, lured by advertisements promising “100% success”, often stretched their finances to enrol children in coaching institutes. Referring to a 2017 Tata Institute of Social Sciences study conducted after a spate of student suicides in Kota, he said 70% of coaching students faced severe stress, 40% suffered from sleep deprivation and depression, while nearly 30% admitted to having suicidal thoughts.Quoting NCRB data, he said 14,488 students died by suicide in 2024, averaging nearly 40 deaths every day. He also cited recent coaching centre tragedies in Lucknow and Delhi to underline the need for stronger safety norms and accountability.Calling coaching a ₹58,000-crore industry projected to nearly triple by 2034, Rathore said regulation became essential. “Rajasthan is the fourth state to enact such a law, and the Assembly deserves credit for it,” he said.
