Delhi Coaching Centre Incident: Student groups voice safety concerns; demand inquiry, swift rescue operation

NEW DELHI: The student groups have demanded an inquiry into and expedition of the rescue operations of students reportedly trapped inside the basement of the coaching centre in Delhi where three civil services aspirants died on Saturday due to apparent flooding. The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Union (AISA) in solidarity with other students, are protesting the ‘negligence’ of the institute at the site and demanding compensation for the families of those who lost their lives as well as the arrest of the institute's owner.

Two female students and one male student, who were preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) IAS exam, died after the coaching institute named Rao’s Study Circle located in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar got flooded following heavy rain.

“Once again displaying the negligent and callous attitude of authorities and private institutions, three students have now lost their lives after they got stuck in the basement library of the said institute. This happened just days after another student was electrocuted in the same locality after heavy rainfall. A student from Kerala who was pursuing PhD from JNU is also reported to be one of the casualties,” said SFI, lashing out at the coaching centres.

A delegation from SFI comprising president VP Sanu met with the students who have been protesting since late hours of Saturday. SFI members including president, vice-president, and others along with MP K Radhakrishnan and Sivadasan visited the RML hospital where the dead bodies of the students are kept, and also met with the students and relatives present there.

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Taking a dig at the union government, the federation said, “Three innocent students who lost their lives are victims of the greedy coaching business due to centralisation of exams. SFI had repeatedly warned the Government about the irreparable damage to education caused. Union govt has to bear the responsibility for this shocking incident.”

Delhi Coaching Centre Tragedy: More deaths, drainage complaints

On the other hand, AISA alleged that the police are hiding the actual details of the incident and the number of deaths is higher than three. “All resident students of Rajendra Nagar have unanimously stated that the Police has been involved in hiding the true details and the scale of the tragedy. Furthermore, instead of telling the truth, the Police has heavily barricaded the site and is threatening the students against protesting,” it said in a statement.

As per the student body, the coaching centre’s owner Abhishek Gupta didn’t show up to the site of the incident and some teachers were sent to pacify the protestors. The locals complained to AISA about the structure of the underground libraries in the area and the preparedness of the drainage system.

“AISA demands swift action and real time reportage of the loss of life and the injuries sustained by the students. We demand immediate arrest of Abhishek Gupta, Rau’s owner for criminal negligence and bypassing of minimum security requisites and certifications. We demand proper auditing of students’ living areas in regard to security and safety from hazards. Strict action must be taken against all involved in the lapses that led to the grave tragedy!,” the student union further stated.

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According to the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU), a student named Nevin from the JNU School of Arts and Aesthetics has also lost his life in the incident. Expressing solidarity with the residents of the area, the student group said that it will hold a condolence meeting at 6 pm today.

Safety issues in coaching institutes

"This must not be viewed as a stand alone incident, the free reins granted to private coaching mafia emboldens institutions to forgo safety regulations in favour of large profits. Despite charging lakhs from students on a yearly basis, basic facilities are found lacking in private institutions. The government has made no attempts to bring this open loot under control despite repeated and regular instances of loss of lives," said JNUSU president Dhananjay in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is protesting the Delhi coaching centre tragedy outside the residence of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) mayor Shelly Oberoi and demanding closure of coaching institutes running without safety standards. The students' association condemned the Delhi government and MCD for not learning any lessons from the past incidents such as fire at a coaching centre in Mukherjee Nagar in June last year and the death of a UPSC aspirant due to electrocution in Patel Nagar this week.