Delhi to bring law to regulate coaching centres, AAP says won’t wait for Centre

Delhi minister Atishi said the AAP government would bring a law to regulate coaching centres amid outrage over.

The death of three civil service aspirants who drowned in the basement of a coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar. Addressing a press conference along with Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi, Atishi said the basements of 30 coaching centres have been sealed, and 200 institutes were served notices following the tragedy at Rau’s IAS Study Circle coaching institute.

“We will listen to the demands of the students, we will hold a meeting with them soon and after that, we will bring the Coaching Institute Regulation Act,” Shelly Oberoi said.

Atishi said the AAP government would constitute a committee comprising officials and students from coaching hubs to formulate the regulations.

Citing a preliminary report by the MCD, Atishi said the primary reason behind the incident was encroachment of the drainage area by coaching centres due to which the floodwater could not recede.

“The drain was encroached upon by all the coaching centres there because of which the water was not going down,” Atishi said.

A preliminary probe has hinted that the drainage system in the area was heavily clogged with silt. Moreover, the basement of the building was used as a library despite having clearance from the authorities only for use as storage.

Atishi said the junior engineer responsible for preventing encroachments in the area was “permanently terminated” by the MCD. The Assistant Engineer has also been suspended.

“The magisterial report will come in six days and for those who will be found responsible, strict action will be taken,” she said.

She also said that in the past three days, illegal encroachments by coaching centres have been bulldozed.

Three IAS aspirants — Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Nevin Dalwin from Kerala — died after the basement of the building housing the coaching institute was flooded following heavy rain on July 27.

So far, seven people have been arrested, including the owner and coordinator of the coaching institute.

The Union Home Ministry has also constituted a high-level committee, headed by an Additional Secretary, to probe the incident.