Amid growing concern over academic pressure and student mental health, the Centre has set up a high-level panel to examine the increasing reliance on private coaching, the fairness of entrance exams, and the rise of dummy schools in India’s education ecosystem. These so-called schools often exist in name only - allowing students to skip formal classes and focus entirely on full-time coaching for competitive exams like NEET, JEE, and CUET.

The panel will also delve into the systemic issues that push students toward coaching institutes and away from formal education, including the high-stakes nature of national-level entrance exams and lack of alignment between school curricula and exam expectations. Officials say the panel will study these trends and recommend ways to reduce pressure, restore classroom relevance, and bring back balance to the education system.

This move follows nationwide debates on student suicides, academic burnout, and the growing influence of coaching giants - highlighting the urgent need for reform in how India defines merit and measures success.