On July 31, Delhi’s Revenue Minister Atishi announced that the Delhi administration plans to create a law to oversee coaching centres following the tragic deaths of three students who drowned in the basement of a UPSC training centre due to flooding. The minister announced that in order to set regulations on tuition costs, teacher qualifications and facility conditions the government plans to form a panel comprising representatives from both the government and the student body. As mentioned by Atishi this legislation will regulate the coaching centres tuition fees in addition to setting standards for the facilities and the credentials of the instructors.
Also Read | Trump Slams Paris Olympic 2024 Opening Ceremony
Death of UPSC aspirants in Old Rajinder Nagar [ORN]
Three candidates aiming for the UPSC position lost their lives after becoming trapped in the basement of a coaching centre in the Old Rajinder Nagar area of Central Delhi, following a burst drain during a severe downpour. This tragic event has resulted in the deaths of Shreya Yadav (from Uttar Pradesh), Nevin Dalwin (from Kerala), and Tanya Soni (from Telangana). The students who were protesting, some of whom were present at the scene, alleged that entry to the building is restricted by a biometric system, rendering it impossible for individuals inside to escape during a power failure. Additionally, they organized a candlelight march into the late evening of Sunday.
Protests by other aspirants
A mass protest by students outside Shelley Oberois house has been sparked by the tragic deaths of three people who were training to become civil servants. Because of the students growing mistrust of the local government, the situation has gotten so bad that paramilitary forces have been called in to keep things under control. Shelley Oberoi, the mayor of Delhi, called the incident extremely disturbing and emphasised the need for firm and immediate measures as well as a comprehensive investigation.
She has directed punitive measures against all training centres under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi that are operating commercial ventures in basements in contravention of regulations. Additionally, she has mandated a probe to determine if any member of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is at fault for the incident at Rajendra Nagar.
Sealing of coaching centres
Atishi mentioned that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has closed down the basements of 30 coaching institutes located in Rajinder Nagar, Mukharjee Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, and Preet Vihar. This list includes IAS Gurukul, Drishti IAS, Sriram IAS, Sanskriti Academy, and Vajiram. The minister also issued warnings to 200 other coaching institutes.
Furthermore, he cautioned that severe measures would be implemented against officers found to be responsible. Additionally, an assistant engineer who failed to ensure proper drainage was suspended, and a junior engineer who was in charge of maintaining drains and identifying illegal constructions was dismissed by the MCD.
Also Read | Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu Addresses Joint Meeting Of US Congressmen
Delhi government’s response
In a statement during a press conference, Ms. Atishi expressed, “We had hoped that the federal government would pass a law to oversee coaching centres. The federal government has not yet passed any regulations though in spite of this regrettable incident. She added The legislation will be drafted by a five-person committee. . “We’ve taken action against these two officials. We will hold any officer accountable regardless of rank who is found to have been responsible in the investigation. I want to reassure the people of this country and those in Delhi. We will ensure severe consequences and the official investigation report is expected in six days.”, the minister said in a press conference.
About the Author
Ms Eesha Priyadarshini, an aspiring civil servant, is currently a student of political science in LSR, DU. She likes covering news related to politics, religion and international relations with utmost neutrality and sincerity.
