“Training centers have turned into death chambers”: Supreme Court on the tragedy in Delh
The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre and the Delhi government on the death of three civil services aspirants who drowned in the flooded basement of a coaching centre in Rajendra Nagar amid heavy rains last month, violating civil and fire safety norms.
During the hearing, the court criticised the authorities for failing to regulate coaching centres, calling them “rooms of death” and accusing them of “playing with the lives of children”.
The court also sought to know what rules have been made for coaching centres, potentially numbering in the hundreds in Delhi alone, many of which charge exorbitant fees from students to prepare for the IAS entrance exam and yet operate in unsafe environments.
‘Coaching centres have become rooms of death’: Apex Court on Delhi tragedy
Two of the three students who died were at the coaching centre in Rajendra Nagar, Delhi.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre and the Delhi government over the death of three civil services aspirants who drowned in the flooded basement of a coaching centre in Rajendra Nagar last month amid heavy rains violating civic and fire safety norms. During the hearing, the court criticised the authorities for failing to regulate coaching centres, calling them “death chambers” and accusing them of “playing with the lives of children”. The court also sought to know what rules have been framed for coaching centres, potentially hundreds in Delhi alone, many of which charge exorbitant fees from students for the IAS entrance exam and yet operate in unsafe environments. “These places have become death chambers. Coaching institutes can operate online unless there is full compliance with safety and basic norms for a dignified life. Coaching centres are playing with the lives of aspirants…”, said Justices Surya Kant and Ujjwal Bhuyan. These norms should include proper ventilation and safe entry and exit, the court said. The Supreme Court also imposed a ₹1 lakh fine on a petition – Coaching Institutes Federation – that challenged a Delhi High Court order ordering the closure of all businesses that had not undergone civil and fire safety inspections; nearly three dozen such centres were shut down.
The students’ deaths – the result of drains failing to clear stagnant rainwater that flowed back into basements along with sewage – have sparked a debate over infrastructure in the city.
The Delhi High Court last week slammed the police and city officials; “Some officer must be responsible… these people must be alive,” the court said before handing over the probe to the CBI.
