Minister Blames Delhi Government for Coaching Institute Tragedy

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar criticized the Delhi government's negligence for the death of three students at Rau's IAS Study Circle. The incident occurred due to a flooded basement following rain. Despite prior warnings and notices, no preventive actions were taken, leading to this preventable tragedy.

Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday held the Delhi government accountable for the tragic death of three students at Rau's IAS Study Circle. The students perished after the basement of the coaching institute, located in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area, was flooded following heavy rain on Saturday evening.

Khattar attributed the tragedy to the negligence of either the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) or the Delhi government. Responding to a brief discussion on the incident, the minister noted a similar event in Mukherjee Nagar, after which the court had instructed the MCD to conduct a survey of coaching institutes and implement necessary safety provisions.

He further revealed that 1,120 coaching institutes were issued notices in 2023, but no subsequent actions were taken. Despite a fire NOC being granted to the coaching centers in July, complaints remained unaddressed. Khattar emphasized the need for a systematic inspection mechanism, suggesting third-party assessments if the government fails to act, to prevent such avoidable incidents.