Chandigarh, Jun 19 (IANS): Authorities in Chandigarh on Tuesday announced a ban on private coaching classes during school hours.

The ban will be effective from July 1, District Magistrate Ajit Balaji Joshi said.

"It has come to the notice... that most of the private coaching centres in the city of Chandigarh remain open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. These coaching centres are involved in the business of giving tuitions to school children and their tuition timings clash with the school time of children, which acts as a deterrent to children for attending their school," the order issued by the District Magistrate stated.

As per the order, "all the private coaching centres within the jurisdiction of Chandigarh shall not render coaching to school going children from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in public interest".

Those students who have already appeared in the final exams or have passed out from schools are exempted, the order stated.

The U.T. (Union Territory) Cadre Education Employees Union had also pointed out that the private coaching classes were spoiling the future of the children and even prevent the children from going to schools.

"It has also come to the notice that the teachers of several government schools and private schools are hand in glove," Joshi pointed out.

Students from Chandigarh and the adjoining towns of Panchkula and Mohali have been securing top ranks in the entrance examinations for various medical colleges and engineering institutes. These include the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).