Delhi Takes Action Against Illegal Coaching Centres After Tragic Deaths

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is cracking down on illegal coaching centres following the tragic deaths of three civil service aspirants due to basement flooding. A high-level committee will investigate the incident. The MCD has initiated actions against non-compliant establishments and previously surveyed coaching centres for safety violations.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has launched a crackdown on illegal coaching centres, prompted by the recent tragic deaths of three civil service aspirants in a flooded basement in central Delhi, an official announced on Sunday.

A civic body team visited Old Rajendra Nagar on Sunday to seal several illegally-operating coaching centres, according to a statement from the Delhi government. Identified non-compliant establishments are now the focus of intensified action, an official said. Last year, the MCD surveyed these centres after a massive fire broke out at an institute in Mukherjee Nagar, another coaching hub in the city's north.

Three civil service aspirants—two women and a man—died when the basement library at Rau's IAS Study Circle flooded during heavy rains on Saturday night, reportedly causing the biometric entry and exit system to fail. The MCD official cited gross criminal negligence by the institute owner, noting the basement was unlawfully repurposed for commercial use and lacked proper safety measures.

Had the exit been functional, the students could have potentially escaped, the official noted. Storm drains in the vicinity, blocked by street-side encroachers, exacerbated the flooding. In response, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi convened a meeting with officials and is set to announce the formation of a high-level committee in collaboration with the Delhi government, another official disclosed.