In a decisive move to address the rampant illegal operations of coaching centres in Delhi, Education Minister Atishi announced on Wednesday that 30 coaching centres’ basements have been sealed and notices have been served to 200 more institutes. These actions come in the wake of a tragic incident where three civil services aspirants lost their lives due to flooding in the basement of a coaching centre.
Among the prominent coaching centres affected are Drishti IAS, Vajiram, Sriram IAS, Sanskriti Academy, and IAS Gurukul. This crackdown highlights the government’s commitment to enforcing regulations and ensuring student safety.
Minister Atishi provided updates on the government’s swift response following the incident. She disclosed that a junior engineer responsible for drain maintenance and preventing illegal activities has been terminated from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Additionally, an assistant engineer tasked with ensuring proper drainage functioning and compliance with building regulations has been suspended.
“Action has been taken against these two officers. I want to assure the people of the country and Delhi that we will take action against any officer irrespective of rank who is found guilty in the inquiry. The magisterial inquiry report will come in six days, and there will be strict action,” Atishi stated during a press briefing.
Looking towards long-term solutions, Atishi announced that the Delhi government plans to introduce a law to regulate all coaching institutes in the national capital. A committee comprising officials and students from coaching hubs will be formed to draft these regulations. The new law will outline infrastructure requirements, teacher qualifications, and critically, the regulation of fees for coaching institutes.
This decisive action follows the deaths of three civil services aspirants at Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar due to basement flooding after heavy rainfall on July 27. In response to the tragedy, students have initiated an indefinite hunger strike, demanding accountability and stricter regulations. Over 400 students have been protesting for the past three days, supported by heavy police deployment to maintain order.
The proposed law aims to ensure that coaching centres adhere to safety standards and provide quality education without exploiting students financially. Minister Atishi’s commitment to stringent action and the establishment of regulatory frameworks marks a significant step towards safeguarding the interests of students in Delhi’s coaching hubs.