The story of education in Kashmir is not just about students, schools, and results, it is also about a parallel system that has quietly become the real engine of learning, the coaching centers. This phenomenon did not emerge overnight. To my memory, it all began around the year 2001–2002, when Srinagar had only two to three coaching centers namely BCI and BCC, located in Bhagat Barzulla and Exchange Road. At the time, few teachers with remarkable reputations, like Bashir Sir and Farooq Sir for chemistry, Tantray Sir, Prince Sir for Physics, and others for life science, attracted students from across the Kashmir. These teachers were not merely instructors, they were mentors whose guidance often determined academic success.

Over the past two and a half decades, however, the landscape has transformed dramatically. Srinagar alone now hosts couple of dozens of mega coaching centers, and every district and tehsil headquarters in Kashmir has multiple coaching centers. While the exact figures are elusive, it would not be an exaggeration to estimate that nearly 100 coaching centers operate across the Valley, providing instruction for classes 9 through 12 as well as NEET and JEE preparation. Each center often runs two sessions daily, morning and afternoon, likely hosting more than 500 students across both sessions. By this calculation, roughly more than 50,000 students actively participate in coaching programs throughout the year, attending schools only for practical examinations.........

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