MEENAL LALL
TAKING suo moto cognizance of the deaths of three UPSC aspirants in Delhi’s Old Rajendra Nagar on July 27, a Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan has said coaching centres have become “death chambers” and are playing with the lives of children.
It issued notices to the Central and Delhi governments, seeking their responses detailing the steps taken to ensure compliance with safety protocols in coaching institutes. “These places have become death chambers. Coaching institutes can operate online unless there is full compliance of safety and basic norms for a dignified life. Coaching centres are playing with the lives of aspirants…” the Bench said.
“No coaching institute, not only in Delhi but even within NCR should be allowed to be approved unless there is meticulous compliance of the safety norms and other fire safety norms necessary for students, besides other basic amenities necessary for human life,” it said.
Last week, the Delhi High Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the incident. It ordered the formation of a committee consisting of the Delhi Chief Secretary, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Vice- Chairman, the MCD Chairman and the Commissioner of Police to re-look into Delhi’s administrative, physical, and financial infrastructure. Earlier, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) formed a committee to investigate the incident.
Three UPSC aspirants lost their lives after heavy rainfall led to waterlogging in the basement of a coaching institute in Delhi’s Old Rajendra Nagar area, which was being used illegally as a library. The incident trapped 17 other students for several hours, highlighting the dire safety issues in these establishments. The basement of the coaching centre was used as a library in violation of the rules since the space was allowed to be used only for parking and storage purposes.
