Kota, Country's Largest Coaching Hub, Fails To Attract Aspirants

Kota: Until recently, millions of NEET and JEE aspirants used to flock to Kota, known as India's coaching hub, with the hope of getting into the chosen few medical and engineering cohorts. Students slung their bags as they disembarked from the train, bicycle bells reverberated across streets, posters fluttered on hostel walls, and bulbs glowed in rented rooms late into the night.

Today, the same streets are deserted and hostels that once hung "No Rooms" signs now house only 12 students in 109 rooms. Hostel owners say no one comes to rent a room, even for Rs 1,800. Lights are still turned on to prevent the building from deteriorating. From shopkeepers, mess owners, tea vendors to photocopiers and auto drivers, all have suffered a steep decline in their income. The once Rs 4,000-crore economy now stares at a deep crisis.

Surprisingly, the number of students taking exams has increased rapidly across the country. The number of candidates appearing for JEE Main and NEET UG is steadily on the rise. Education expert Dev Sharma said 10.48 lakh candidates registered for JEE Main in 2021, which increased to 15.39 lakh by 2025, reflecting an increase of approximately 68%. Similarly, 16.14 lakh candidates took the NEET UG in 2021, and the number rose to 24.06 lakh by 2024, an overall increase of 70%.

The hostel owners are finding it difficult to keep afloat as the number of boarders dwindled. (ETV Bharat)

In contrast, the number of students enrolling in coaching centres across Kota has decreased by more than half. Hostel and PG operators have been struggling to cope with the new normal. Kamal Nagar, who runs a hostel in the Landmark area, explains that the number of students has been steadily decreasing since 2022. "Only NEET aspirants live in this area, and many hostels have been permanently shut due to the dearth of boarders. Those that are still operating have less than 50% of the rooms occupied. Previously, rooms were offered at very low rates. Even then, it was difficult to find takers," he added.

Kamal Goyal, a hostel operator in the Coral Park area, said his newly-built hostel has 109 rooms, but only 12 students are living presently. The rent is a mere Rs 1,800 per room, which doesn't even cover expenses, let alone repay the loan. "I am running the hostel to prevent the building from falling apart," he added.

Kota's economy has revolved around the coaching industry. Ashok Maheshwari, general secretary of the Kota Vyapar Mahasangh, said the coaching industry has benefited hostels, messes, restaurants, roadside food courts, juice centers, tea stalls, cobblers, tailors, dry cleaning, vegetable and fruit vendors, dairies, hawkers, fast food stalls, salons, auto and taxis, bicycle and bike rentals, photo studios, photocopiers, grocery stores, general stores, mobile repair shops, stationery shops, printing outlets, and other ancilliary businesses. "The coaching industry's turnover had reached Rs 4,000 crore and was expected to grow further. But now, the lack of students has impacted all businesses adversely. Shop owners are unable to even pay their rent. Many have closed. The entire economy has undergone a radical change," he added.

Hostel operators and locals blame the opening of branches outside Rajasthan as the primary reason behind this economic downturn. The majority of students coming to Kota were from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The opening of branches in these states, coupled with cheaper living costs, has discouraged aspirants from heading to Kota. Another reason is the exorbitant increase in hostel and PG rents in Kota in 2022, which irked parents. Thirdly, the negative image created by a series of suicides is also responsible, although Kota academics and hostel operators call this a conspiracy to defame the state and claim that the environment has been deliberately spoiled.

The number of students enrolling in coaching centres across Kota has decreased by more than half. (ETV Bharat)

The most surprising thing is that there hasn't been much decline in selections from Kota, and the trend of toppers in JEE Main, Advanced, and NEET UG continues every year. The reason is that Kota's coaching system, faculty, and competitive environment are still the strongest in the country. Students who truly aspire to top such exams still come to Kota, but others are now opting for good colleges for coaching near their homes, as seats in IITs, NITs, IIITs, and medical colleges have increased significantly.

Hostel operators in Kota have launched a movement against coaching institutes, with the demand that branches opened outside Rajasthan be closed. But coaching institutes say they are in business and will go wherever the students are willing to enrol. If this situation continues, Kota will become a city solely for top-rankers in the coming years as ordinary students will prepare closer to home.

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