Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has issued a directive to the Chief Secretary of Delhi to lead a newly formed committee tasked with addressing several pressing issues related to coaching institutions in the city. The committee, which will include 5-6 representatives from coaching institutes, student representatives, and officials from relevant government departments, is charged with resolving challenges such as regulatory compliance, high rental costs, fire safety clearances, desilting of drains, and other urgent needs to ensure a safer and more effective educational environment.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to improve the infrastructure and conditions surrounding educational institutions in Delhi. The LG's directive follows a tragic incident on July 27, when three UPSC aspirants lost their lives due to flooding at a coaching institute. In response, the LG convened a meeting on July 30 with senior management from over 21 private coaching institutes, including their federation, senior officials from the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), the Vice-Chairman (VC) of Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and student representatives.
The LG emphasized that the newly formed committee should develop both long-term and short-term action plans to gradually relocate coaching institutes to a well-planned area. This move is intended to address the myriad issues affecting these institutions and improve overall safety and functionality.
Additionally, the LG directed the Chief Secretary to work on formulating guidelines and a regulatory framework for coaching institutions and tuition classes, aligning with central government guidelines. This effort aims to create a standardized approach to managing coaching institutes, ensuring they adhere to safety and operational standards.
As part of the initial steps, the VC of DDA will facilitate site visits for representatives from coaching institutions to potential locations in Narela and Rohini. These sites are being considered for establishing an education hub that would house all coaching institutes in a well-organized area.
The LG's directive also includes immediate measures such as sealing any coaching institute operating a library or teaching facility in the basement. To provide short-term relief, coaching institutes will be required to offer spaces for reading rooms to their students.
In response to the tragic event, the Federation of Coaching Institutes has agreed to compensate the families of the deceased students and offer a discount on fees for the current academic session to students who have experienced mental distress and disruption due to the incident.
Further, the LG directed the creation of a portal with Aadhar-based login credentials for all coaching institutes in the city, which will help establish a transparent database. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will also create a link on its portal to facilitate online applications for fire clearances, addressing the challenges faced by coaching institutions due to regulatory ambiguities.
Additionally, the LG has instructed the Commissioner of Police to undertake an immediate crackdown on exorbitant rental charges and compulsory cash transactions that evade tax.
The LG has indicated that he will review the progress of these measures within a fortnight to ensure that the outlined actions are effectively implemented and that the issues facing coaching institutions are adequately addressed.
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