From Kota To Delhi, Flourish Coaching Centers Invite Accidents, Put Students At Risk | Opinion

Delhi Coaching Centre Deaths: In 2019, at least 22 students were killed in a fire at a coaching centre in Sarthana area of Surat in Gujarat.

Delhi Coaching Centre Deaths: Coaching centres are a flourishing business in India. Moreover, those operating on a small level easily avoid scrutiny and even don't pay taxes. However, those operating at a larger level dealing in UPSC coaching are very popular across India. However, most of these coaching centres flout norms and even the buildings they use are not equipped enough to deal with tragedies like fire or flooding. Their buildings and structures often violate safety rules but even authorities don't pay heed until a casualty strikes. 

Rau IAS Study Circle's Rajinder Nagar branch is one such example in which three students died due to drowning in the basement after flooding. You must not have forgotten the tragic fire that hit a UPSC/SSC coaching centre in Mukherjee Nagar in which 61 students were injured as they jumped out of the window of the fourth floor to escape the fire. In 2019,  at least 22 students were killed in a fire at a coaching centre in Sarthana area of Surat in Gujarat. These buildings didn't have a Fire NOC. Even, very few coaching centres or the building in which they operate apply for fire NOC. Many students die in Kota every year due to suicide while a fire broke out in a coaching hostel in April this year leading to multiple injuries.  

In the case of the Delhi coaching centre, it has been revealed that the institute flouted the key guidelines and norms, as outlined by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The basement, which was cleared for usage as a parking space or for storage of household goods, was turned into a library. The coaching centre, in a blatant violation of norms, converted the basement into a library, thereby putting the lives of students at risk. 

Despite these regular incidents, the governments and administrations turn a deaf ear to the issues and allow these coaching centres to flourish. The lost lives are just a number as people often forget and move on. No accountability has ever been fixed - either of government officials, be it of the municipal corporation employees or fire department personnel - while only those operating or owning the building face the wrath of the law. The governments need to wake up to the issue and conduct thorough checks of the residential/commercial buildings in which such institutions operate. Until then, we will keep witnessing Surat or Delhi coaching centre-like tragedies and the young students will continue to be treated as mere numbers instead of India's future.