Kota coaching institutes seek nod for opening

KOTA: Kota coaching institutes and private schools have demanded reopening in a phased manner, with Covid-19 cases declining significantly in Rajasthan.

On Friday, the state registered 150 fresh Covid positive cases and nine more deaths. Udaipur recorded the maximum number of deaths at four, while the highest cases of infection, 25, were reported from Jaipur, according to the health department data.

The coaching institutes were shut after lockdown-like restrictions were imposed in April, when daily Covid cases surged past 10,000 in the state.

After a meeting, representatives of the Kota coaching institutes and private school submitted a memorandum to the district collector on Friday, seeking restarting of classes from July.

Allen Career Institute director Naveen Maheshwari said, “Covid-19 is now controlled in the state; active cases have come down. As markets have been allowed to run, so coaching centres can be permitted to reopen.”

A total of 9,38,101 Covid-19 patients have recovered so far in the state while the number of active cases is 3,783, according to data.

“When malls, gyms and other public places have reopened and normalcy is returning, so parents and students are enquiring about opening of coaching institutes in Kota. The state government should allow restarting of Kota coaching in a phased manner,” Maheshwari said.

He said most of the faculty members of coaching institutes have been vaccinated. “The students coming to Kota are aged between 15 and 18 years; they can very well take care of themselves.”

Every year nearly 150,000 students come to Kota to prepare for IIT-Joint Engineering Entrance and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) held for medical admissions. Covid lockdowns have hit Kota coaching and businesses associated with it.

Vibrant Academy manager Rakesh Sharma said students are eager to come to Kota to prepare for NEET and IIT-JEE. “Kota city’s economy is dependent on coaching, so coaching institutes should be allowed to reopen soon,” Sharma said.

Maheshwari said coaching institute representatives will soon meet urban development and housing minister Shanti Dhariwal to seek restarting of the institutes.

Kota Vyapar Mahasangh general secretary Ashok Maheshwari said, “Kota coaching institutes should reopen soon since they playa a pivotal role in Kota’s economy.”