TRTI To Blacklist Coaching Institutes Offering Tablets, Incentives To Lure Students

Those private institutes that lure students for admission by providing financial incentives, tablet devices, and other discounts would face action by the Tribal Training and Research Institute (TRTI). 

An October 14 circular, issued by TRTI Commissioner Deepa Mudhol Munde, mentioned, “Coaching centres empanelled by the institute for competitive pre-examination training are not permitted to offer incentives or freebies to students over and above the laid out benefits in the scheme. Usage of government logos and names of government institutions by such coaching centres in advertisements is also not allowed.”  

Students from Scheduled Castes, OBC/VJNT/SBC, and Scheduled Tribe, and Maratha/Kunbi students are provided schemes through organisations like BARTI, MAHAJYOTI, TRTI, and SARTHI. And several private coaching institutes are empanelled for competitive exam training for entrance tests, including the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC). 

Through a Common Entrance Test (CET), students are selected for these competitive pre-examination training, and the shortlisted students can then opt for an empanelled coaching centre for their test preparation.  

However, by offering incentives like tablets and discounts, the institutes are seen to attract students. Mudhol Munde said, “ The concerned training institutes will face appropriate action and they will be blacklisted,” said Mudhol Munde. 

In 2023, the TRTI commissioner was appointed as chairperson of the sub-committee for implementation and monitoring of the competitive exam schemes. The sub-committee was formed to bring uniformity in the various schemes of TRTI, SARTHI, MAHAJYOTI, BARTI, MAMFDC, and AMRUT. 

Moreover, SARTHI, BARTI and MAHAJYOTI have also been under fire in recent times due to research fellowships for MPhil and PhD being stalled for the last two years. In September, Student organisations held a protest at Pune’s Goodluck Chowk for the revival of these fellowships.