Sanjeev Sanyal calls for scrutiny of India’s coaching sector and education system

Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), has called for increased scrutiny of India’s coaching institute sector, describing it as a “mafia” that subverts the national educational framework. Sanyal suggested that the system requires oversight similar to the crackdown seen in China, where the government addressed coaching class issues by improving public schools.

Sanyal also highlighted a significant “employability problem” in India, arguing that the nation faces a skills mismatch rather than a simple lack of jobs. He noted that while companies, including large firms and small and medium enterprises, struggle to find workers with the necessary skills, many graduates remain inadequately trained for available roles.

To address these issues, Sanyal advocated for reorienting the education system toward practical skills, careers, and vocational training. Additionally, he recommended updating the National Education Policy to better account for the rapidly evolving technological landscape, specifically noting that the current policy was drafted in a “pre-AI world.”