Shimla, May 1 -- The Himachal Pradesh government has notified the Himachal Pradesh Private Coaching Centres (Registration and Regulation) Rules, 2026, following directives from the Supreme Court of India. The new rules make registration mandatory for all coaching centres and place strong emphasis on student well-being through structured safeguards. "The rules also mandate regular sensitisation programmes for parents and guardians to reduce undue academic pressure and promote supportive responses to student stress. Mental health awareness, emotional regulation, and life skills education are to be integrated into student orientation and co-curricular activities," shared a senior official on condition of anonymity. The moves comes amid growing concerns over the unregulated expansion of coaching institutes and the mounting pressure on students, particularly those preparing for competitive exams. The issue gained national attention when the Supreme Court flagged the need to regulate coaching centres and focus on student's mental health. Under the provisions, coaching centres are required to adopt and implement a mental health policy, drawing from national frameworks such as UMMEED Draft Guidelines, the MANODARPAN initiative, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. The policy must be reviewed annually and displayed publicly on websites and notice boards. Institutions with 100 or more students must appoint at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist, or social worker trained in child and adolescent mental health, while smaller centres must establish formal referral linkages with professionals. Additionally, all teaching and non-teaching staff must to undergo mandatory training twice a year on psychological first-aid, identification of distress signals, and response mechanisms. Coaching centres will be required to maintain anonymised records of wellness interventions and submit annual reports to district authorities.Institutions are also directed to promote extracurricular activities, including sports and arts, and review examination patterns to reduce academic burden. For residential coaching centres and hostels, the rules specify enhanced safety measures, including harassment-free environment, substance abuse, and other risks, along with installing safety measures such as tamper-proof ceiling fans and restricting access to high-risk areas. Under the new regime, no coaching centre can operate without prior registration. Existing institutes have been given three months to comply. A registration fee of Rs.50,000 has been fixed, with renewal after three years requiring Rs.25,000. Each branch of a multi-location institute must be registered separately. District-level monitoring committees headed by deputy commissioners will oversee implementation. These panels will include police officials, medical experts, education representatives, and a psychiatrist, and will have powers to inspect centres, grant or cancel registrations, and address complaints through dedicated grievance redressal mechanisms. A state-level authority headed by the secretary (higher education) will hear appeals. Coaching hours have been capped at five hours per day with a mandatory weekly off. Classes cannot be conducted during regular school hours to discourage "dummy schooling". Tutors must be graduates, and individuals with criminal records involving moral turpitude have been barred from employment. Institutes have also been barred from making misleading claims such as guaranteed ranks or marks. They may only use the term "Registered Coaching Centre", not "recognised" or "approved". Violation of any of the provisions of the rules or guidelines shall invite a penalty up to Rs.50,000 for the first violation, up to Rs.2,00,000 for the second violation; and cancellation of registration if the violation continues....