Even after GST 2.0 exempted formal schooling fees, the finance minister made it clear: private coaching and online tuition remain subject to 18% GST. For a ₹50,000 JEE or NEET program, families now pay ₹59,000 with the intention to tilt preference back toward schools. But will the tax actually curb India’s coaching obsession? India Today says: probably not. About 27% of students rely on private coaching (30.7% in cities, 25.5% in rural areas), paying between ₹3,988 (rural) and ₹6,384 (urban higher secondary) yearly. 

The coaching industry is booming valued at ₹58,000 crore and expected to reach ₹1.34 lakh crore by 2028. Parents treat it as essential: with a dual-income generation and fast-paced curricula, coaches bridge gaps that schools leave behind. Despite advertising guidelines and regulatory attempts, GST proves more of a pinprick extra costs are often absorbed or shifted into installments. 

Real change hinges not on taxation but on improving schools, regulating coaching practices, and boosting affordable learning tools like AI. Until then, the tuition culture remains largely untaxed by tradition even if GST tries to sting.