Following the deaths of three UPSC aspirants, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has ordered action against coaching centres being run in the basements in the city. In an official order, Oberoi directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Commissioner to initiate action against such coaching centres.
The orders by Oberoi came hours after three civil services aspirants died after the basement of a building housing a coaching centre was flooded following heavy rain in central Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar area.
Three civil services aspirants died after the basement of a coaching centre in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar flooded due to heavy rain. UPSC aspirants held a night-long protest, demanding immediate action from the authorities following the incident at the coaching institute.
The owner and the coordinator of Rau's IAS Study Circle in Delhi were detained hours after the bodies of three students were recovered following flooding in the basement of the coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar (ORN) area.
According to the police, the Delhi fire department received a call regarding waterlogging at the Rao IAS Study Centre around 7 pm after which they launched a rescue operation. The police have registered a criminal case over the deaths of the students.
The Delhi Mayor also said an immediate inquiry should be conducted to identify if any officers of the MCD are responsible for the tragedy.
The tragedy has sparked a political firestorm. Delhi revenue minister Atishi ordered an inquiry, while BJP leaders accused the AAP government of negligence for not addressing drainage issues.
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj criticised the AAP government, alleging that the administration ignored local residents’ requests regarding drainage issues.
Rajinder Nagar, known as a hub for coaching centers and student accommodations, has a history of such incidents. Just last year, a fire at a coaching center in Mukherjee Nagar, another educational hub, resulted in over 60 injuries.