Today(20th Sept), The Supreme Court instructed a Union government-appointed committee to submit interim measures within four weeks following the drowning deaths of three IAS aspirants in a coaching center. It also directed Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi governments to report any changes made to prevent such incidents.
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NEW DELHI: Today(20th Sept), the Supreme Court directed a high-level committee, appointed by the Union government, to submit interim safety measures aimed at preventing incidents like the tragic flooding that led to the deaths of three IAS aspirants at a coaching centre in Delhi’s Old Rajendra Nagar. The incident, which occurred in July, has drawn widespread concern and prompted a reevaluation of safety standards in coaching institutes across the National Capital Region (NCR).
The incident occurred on July 27 when three civil services aspirants—Shreya Yadav (25) from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni (25) from Telangana, and Nevin Delvin (24) from Kerala—drowned in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle. The basement library of the coaching institute had flooded due to heavy rainfall, trapping the students inside. Their untimely deaths have deeply affected the student community and sparked an urgent need to reassess safety regulations for coaching centers across the country.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan took a firm stance on the issue, directing the governments of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi to update the court on any policy, legislative, or administrative changes made to prevent similar incidents in the future. The bench emphasized the need for uniform safety initiatives across the entire NCR to ensure the safety of students attending coaching institutes.
The bench remarked-
“If the need arises, we will pass directions for pan-India to prevent Old Rajendra Nagar-type incidents.”
This strong observation from the apex court underscores the severity of the issue and signals that safety measures should not be limited to Delhi but applied across the country to ensure no student faces similar risks.
In light of the tragic deaths, the Supreme Court instructed the high-level committee investigating the incident to submit its interim measures within four weeks. These measures are expected to focus on improving the safety standards of coaching centres, especially those operating in flood-prone or high-risk areas. The committee’s recommendations could lead to significant reforms in how such educational facilities are regulated and monitored for student safety.
This was not the first time the Supreme Court expressed concerns over coaching centres. On August 5, the apex court had remarked that these institutes had turned into “death chambers” and were “playing with the lives of students.” The court made these strong observations while issuing notices to both the Centre and the Delhi government, stressing the urgent need for a re-evaluation of safety standards.
The case in question arose while the court was hearing a petition filed by an association of coaching centres. The association had challenged a Delhi High Court order from December 2023, which directed the city’s fire services and municipal authorities to inspect all coaching centres for compliance with fire safety norms.
Terming the petition challenging the High Court order as “frivolous,” the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on the coaching centre association.
The court made it unequivocally clear that –
“no coaching centre should be allowed to operate unless there is compliance with fire safety norms and other requirements.”
This ruling underscored the judiciary’s commitment to ensuring that coaching centres prioritize student safety over commercial interests, reinforcing the idea that educational institutions should not become death traps for young aspirants seeking to build their futures.
Following the deaths of the three IAS aspirants, there has been widespread protest from students enrolled in various coaching institutes. Students have demanded that the authorities take immediate and concrete steps to improve safety measures in coaching centres. These protests reflect the growing concern among the student community regarding their safety and well-being in educational institutions that are often located in congested urban areas with inadequate infrastructure.
In another move, the Delhi High Court had earlier transferred the investigation into the deaths from the Delhi Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The transfer was made to “ensure the public has no doubt over the investigation,” providing assurance to the families of the deceased and the broader student community that the probe will be carried out impartially and thoroughly.
