In the wake of recent events and growing concerns over the safety and regulatory compliance of coaching centres in Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party leader and minister Atishi made a significant announcement on Wednesday. Addressing a press conference, she said that the AAP-led Delhi government will introduce a law to regulate coaching institutes. The minister said a committee will be formed to draft this law, which will include officials, students, and representatives from coaching institutes. This comes amidst the ongoing crackdown by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which has already sealed several coaching centres found operating in violation of building bylaws.
"The law will have provisions for infrastructure, qualification of teachers, fee regulation and preventing misleading advertisements. Public feedback will also be sought," she said. "Basements of 30 coaching centres in Rajinder Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar, Laxmi Nagar and Preet Vihar have been sealed while notices have been issued to 200 other coaching centres," the minister added.
Action will be taken against defaulters post-investigation: Atishi
Atishi further revealed that an interim inquiry report has been completed regarding the recent incident at a coaching centre. Additionally, a preliminary report has been submitted by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The reports highlight two critical findings related to the incident. First, a drain, identified as the cause of waterlogging in the area, was found to be encroached upon by several coaching centres. This encroachment obstructed the drainage system, preventing water from flowing down properly and leading to a dangerous situation, she said. Further actions are expected as authorities continue to investigate the incident and address the encroachment issue, the minister added.
MCD's crackdown on coaching centres
Atishi's announcement comes four days after three UPSC aspirants died after the basement of a building housing a coaching institute was flooded following heavy rain on Saturday (July 27) evening. The tragedy at Rau's IAS Study Circle has prompted urgent calls for stricter enforcement of safety norms in educational institutions. In response, the MCD has taken decisive action, sealing a total of 29 basements of coaching centres since Sunday, including prominent names in Central Delhi’s Old Rajendra Nagar and other areas of the city.
Students begin hunger strike in Delhi
Meanwhile, civil services aspirants holding a protest against the death of three students in the flooded basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle building in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area on Tuesday began an indefinite hunger strike to demand action in the case. More than 400 students have been participating in the protest for the past three days amid heavy police deployment. A protesting student said 10 aspirants started an indefinite hunger strike till their main demands, including compensation of Rs 5 crore to the victims' families, were met. "We had a brief hope that the administration would listen to us, we would be heard by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) coaching lobby, the authorities but after four days we have realised that this protest is going nowhere," told a woman student sitting on the hunger strike to news agency PTI.
Three civil services aspirants died
It should be noted here that three civil services aspirants -- two females and a male -- died after a library housed in the basement of Rau's IAS centre got inundated in heavy rain Saturday night (July 27) which led to the failure of the single biometric entry and exit point. Following this incident, a Delhi court has sent the owner and coordinator of the coaching centre to 14-day judicial custody. Following the incident, Rao IAS Study Circle released a statement expressing deep sorrow over the tragic deaths of the three students.
(With inputs from agencies)
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