Mumbai: MT Educare Pvt Ltd (Mahesh Tutorials), which operates 33 coaching centres and integrated coaching programmes across Maharashtra, has allegedly shut its operations abruptly last week.The company allegedly took the decision without any prior notice to students, parents, or teachers. Public records indicate that insolvency proceedings against the company have been pending before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) since December 2022.Around 2,500 students who are preparing for over SSC, HSC, and CBSE exams are left in a lurch, alleged a charitable organisation in a letter to the school education minister, Dada Bhuse.While the institute was known for coaching school and junior college students, parents claimed that the integrated coaching batches, under the title Lakshya, are also shut down.Officials from the company could not be reached at the time of going to the press. Mahesh Tutorials has been running classes for over 38 years. About 7-8 years ago, the organisation was acquired by Zee Learn.Highlighting the need for the state govt to bring in rules to regulate the coaching industry, Sanskriti Jeevan Adhar Foundation, a public charitable trust working for education, social justice, women empowerment and public welfare, has written to Bhuse.“The govt should order a comprehensive financial audit of the fees collected from parents for the academic year 2026-27, examine the utilisation of these funds and related financial transactions, and initiate a detailed inquiry into the matter. The coaching classes were still taking EMIs from the parents, even when the insolvency proceedings were on,” said Pradeep Magare, from the foundation, who is also an affected parent. He claimed that another coaching class has offered to help students out.Hundreds of students enrolled for the academic year 2026-27 are at risk, claimed the foundation in the letter to the department, asking them to protect their educational interests, provide alternative academic arrangements, ensure refunds of fees to parents, clear pending salaries of teachers, and also to conduct a high-level inquiry into the institution’s financial transactions.“If the preliminary investigation reveals fraud, financial mismanagement, breach of trust, misleading of consumers, or violation of any other law, appropriate criminal and civil action should be taken against the responsible management of M T Educare (Mahesh Tutorials) under the prevailing laws,” said Magare.A senior school education department official said that they will look into the matter. “There is no legal framework to act against coaching classes, but since students and parents are affected, the department will look into it. If they are running junior colleges and they have abruptly shut those centres too, it will come under the department’s legal framework, and action will be taken,” said the official.Meanwhile, Arihant Academy has denied rumours of it acquiring MT Educare. In the statement, Arihant Academy mentioned that they were approached by senior representatives of MT Educare last month regarding certain operation challenges affecting their ability to fulfil commitments to a large number of students in Mumbai. “Keeping the interests and academic continuity of these students, we agree to extend reasonable coaching support by accommodating eligible students at our select branches,” added the letter.
