The administration’s move to ensure registration of all coaching institutes in the state capital by November, 2011, has failed to yield the desired result.

Of the 4,000-odd coaching institutes in the city, only 609 have applied for registration till date. Though an FIR has to be lodged against the institutes that have not applied for the registration, the office of the district education officer (DEO) does not even have the list of such institutions.

The newly appointed DEO, Arun Kumar Sharma, told The Telegraph: “Only 609 coaching institutes have applied for registration so far. Of these, 221 have been inspected. We have prepared the file and will soon meet the state government-appointed committee that is dealing with the coaching institutions.”

Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh chairs the committee that comprises senior superintendent of police and principal of Patna Science College. The DEO is the member-secretary.

“Unless the matter is brought to the DEO office’s notice, how would we know that there are more than 609 coaching institutions?” Sharma asked, adding: “Now that you have brought the matter to our notice, we’ll see to it. We will also discuss it with the state government at a meeting with the education minister on July 14. ”

The DEO added that another notice might be served to ensure that the coaching institutions that have not applied for the registration yet could do so.

On the benefits that the registered institutes would enjoy, Sharma said: “The registration aims at providing students with quality education.”

Sanjay Kumar Singh said: “We do not have the list of the institutes that have not registered with the district education office. For the list of the number of coaching institutions, surveys have to be conducted. It has not yet started. It takes time for inquiries.”

The DM, however, does not feel that not taking any legal action against the institutions, which have not yet applied for registration, is delaying the process further. Singh said: “How can you say it is a delay? It takes time in enquiries.”

Taki Ahmad Khan, the secretary of Khan Educational and Welfare Society, which runs a coaching institution, said: “We have applied for the registration. Though the registration ensures valid identity to those running the coaching institutions, it does not stop exploitation of students. Just providing air-conditioned classrooms does not solve the purpose. The fee charges are so high that a middle-class student cannot afford a coaching class.”

However, Khan believes that the criteria laid down by the state government to get registered are very strict and not many institutes can adhere to all the rules. One of the rules underline that a coaching institution has to provide a student 1sqm space for classes. To this, Khan said: “This is impractical as the rent of the coaching institute would go up and at the same time the number of students would go down because of space constraint.”