19 coaching centre basements sealed
NEW DELHI: In a sweeping action, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has sealed the basements of six more coaching institutes in Central Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar and one in North West Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar. This crackdown follows a tragic incident on Saturday where three civil service aspirants lost their lives.
Several renowned coaching centres, including Drishti IAS, are among those targeted. The civic body also conducted an anti-encroachment operation in Old Rajinder Nagar to demolish structures obstructing storm drains, which had contributed to flooding in the area, officials reported on Tuesday.
MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar stated that the sealing drive would extend to other parts of the city where basements are being illegally used for commercial activities.
To date, 19 basements of coaching centres utilised unlawfully as libraries or classrooms in both Rajendra Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar have been sealed, according to officials.
“By Sunday, we had taken action against 13 basements of coaching institutes in Rajendra Nagar. On Monday, we resumed the sealing drive and sealed six more basements in the same area,” a spokesperson said. “Additionally, we conducted an anti-encroachment drive to remove structures covering the storm drains.”
A basement of a coaching institute in Mukherjee Nagar was also sealed, as confirmed by Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi. Among the prominent coaching centres affected are Drishti IAS Institute, Vaji Ram and Ravi IAS Hub, and SriRam IAS Institute in Rajinder Nagar, as well as Drishti IAS in Mukherjee Nagar, the official statement noted.
Three basements in the Vaji Ram and Ravi IAS hub building were sealed. This action follows the deaths of three civil services aspirants after a library in the basement of their coaching centre, Rau’s IAS Study Circle, in Rajinder Nagar was flooded due to heavy rain, resulting in the failure of the single biometric entry and exit point.
A notice posted at the entrance of a coaching centre in Mukherjee Nagar stated, “It has been brought to my notice that the basement of a single unit local shopping centre, Vardhman Mall, Nehru Vihar (combined basement of Towers 1, 2, and 3) is being used for coaching centre activities in violation of clause 15.9 of MPD-2021.”
Similar notices were seen at the entrances of other sealed basements in both areas.
The closure of many libraries is now causing significant challenges for students preparing for civil services exams. A UPSC aspirant from Mukherjee Nagar reported that most centre libraries have been closed since the Saturday incident.
“I have the UPSC Mains exam in one and a half months, and the library at my centre is closed. My books and all preparation materials are inside, and I’m not allowed to retrieve them,” the student said. “We received a message on Sunday night to collect our books by 6 am today. I was asleep and missed the chance. Most students here are preparing for the UPSC Mains.”
The MCD has also terminated one officer and suspended another from the maintenance department due to lapses in managing waterlogging.
