The Supreme Court reviewing new safety measures following the deaths of three UPSC aspirants in Delhi’s Rajendra Nagar. The incident occurred due to flooding in the basement of a coaching center, raising concerns about safety standards in such facilities. Authorities are now under pressure to enforce stricter guidelines for coaching centers operating in the area. The tragedy has sparked public outcry and calls for immediate action to prevent similar incidents.
New Delhi: Four months after the tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants in Delhi’s Rajendra Nagar area, amicus curiae Siddhartha Dave submitted a draft proposal to the Supreme Court addressing infrastructure, safety, and regulation of private coaching centers.
A two-judge bench, consisting of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, scheduled to hear the matter in the coming weeks. According to police reports, the three aspirants died due to flooding in the basement of a coaching center.
The draft outlines several measures aimed at enhancing safety in coaching institutes. It proposes significant fines and penalties for violations, stating,
“A private coaching institute, including the owner, proprietor, or other persons involved in its operation, shall be liable to pay a penalty of fifty thousand rupees for the first violation, and two lakhs for subsequent violations.”
The draft also indicates that continuous violations could lead to the cancellation of the coaching institute’s registration and that penalties would be in addition to any other applicable legal consequences.
Furthermore, it specifies that the owner, proprietor, and responsible individuals will be personally and vicariously liable for any penalties or offenses resulting from violations of these rules.
The Supreme Court previously taken suo motu cognizance of the case and, on August 5, issued notices to both the Central and Delhi governments, requesting detailed responses regarding safety measures implemented in coaching centers.
The court sought clarity on the safety norms being followed across coaching institutes nationwide, particularly in light of the tragic deaths of the three IAS aspirants.
On July 27, 2024, a tragic event unfolded in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar area, resulting in the deaths of three UPSC aspirants, Shreya Yadav (25) from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni (21) from Telangana, and Nevin Dalvin (28) from Kerala.
They lost their lives due to flooding in the basement library of Rau’s IAS Study Circle coaching center, where heavy rainfall caused significant water accumulation on the streets. The forceful movement of an SUV created waves that breached the building’s main gates, leading to rapid flooding in the basement. Despite rescue efforts, the rising water trapped the students, preventing their escape.
Investigations revealed that the basement was improperly used as a library, contravening municipal regulations that only permit basements to be used for storage. Prior to the incident, complaints had been lodged with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) about this illegal usage nearly a month earlier, but no action was taken.
In response to this tragedy, the MCD sealed 13 coaching centers that were unlawfully operating in basements and established a high-level committee to investigate the flooding incident. The Delhi Police detained the building owner, the CEO of the coaching center, and several others associated with the case, filing a criminal case regarding the students’ deaths.
The Supreme Court of India took suo motu notice of the situation, issuing notices to both the central and Delhi governments. The court remarked that these coaching centers had effectively turned into “death chambers” due to negligence and regulatory failures. This incident sparked increased scrutiny of coaching centers throughout India, highlighting the critical need for stringent enforcement of safety regulations to avert future tragedies.