UPSC Coaching Centre Deaths Reveal Systemic Failures

UPSC Aspirants' Deaths Reveal Systemic Negligence and Regulatory Failures

The tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants—Tanya Soni, Shreya Yadav, and Nevin Delvin—occurred on Saturday in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Central Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar. The incident unfolded when water suddenly flooded the basement of the coaching centre, leading to a swift and fatal inundation. 

This heartbreaking event has cast a harsh spotlight on the shadowy operations of Delhi’s coaching centres. These institutions, often seen as lifelines for ambitious students striving for prestigious government positions, are now under scrutiny for their safety standards and emergency preparedness. The deaths of these young aspirants have raised serious questions about the regulatory oversight and the accountability of such coaching centres

The three students met their tragic end while they were studying in the library located in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle. Shockingly, this basement was being used as a library in clear violation of existing regulations. In the wake of the incident, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi took superficial action, sealing over a dozen coaching centres across the city. These centres were found to be operating illegally in basements, prompting immediate closures and the posting of notices. However, this reaction raises critical questions: What was the local administration doing all this while? Were they unaware of these blatant violations? 

Amongst the superficial measures taken in the aftermath of this tragedy was the arrest of an SUV driver who allegedly waded through the waterlogged road, contributing to the breaking of the gates at Rau’s IAS Study Circle, where the UPSC aspirants met their untimely deaths. According to the police, the pressure from the SUV driving through the flooded street was a factor in the gates giving way. This explanation seems absurdly misplaced. 

If a person drives through a waterlogged area, and the resulting water pressure breaks a gate, should the driver be blamed? The real culprits are the authorities who failed to construct adequate roads and drainage systems capable of handling rainwater, and those who permitted the coaching centre to operate without necessary permissions. It is preposterous that a person simply navigating the city streets in such conditions faces arrest while systemic failures by the administration are overlooked. 

Would this driver have been arrested for the same actions on a regular, dry day? The authorities appear to be engaging in a blame game, deflecting responsibility to avoid scrutiny. 

The civic body’s decision to initiate bulldozer action to remove encroachments blocking and covering drains, leading to waterlogging, is yet another example of superficial action. While these measures might appear decisive on the surface, they fail to address the root causes of the tragedy.

Sealing a handful of coaching centres and demolishing illegal structure

UPSC Aspirants' Deaths Reveal Systemic Negligence and Regulatory Failures

The tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants—Tanya Soni, Shreya Yadav, and Nevin Delvin—occurred on Saturday in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Central Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar. The incident unfolded when water suddenly flooded the basement of the coaching centre, leading to a swift and fatal inundation. 

This heartbreaking event has cast a harsh spotlight on the shadowy operations of Delhi’s coaching centres. These institutions, often seen as lifelines for ambitious students striving for prestigious government positions, are now under scrutiny for their safety standards and emergency preparedness. The deaths of these young aspirants have raised serious questions about the regulatory oversight and the accountability of such coaching centres

The three students met their tragic end while they were studying in the library located in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle. Shockingly, this basement was being used as a library in clear violation of existing regulations. In the wake of the incident, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi took superficial action, sealing over a dozen coaching centres across the city. These centres were found to be operating illegally in basements, prompting immediate closures and the posting of notices. However, this reaction raises critical questions: What was the local administration doing all this while? Were they unaware of these blatant violations? 

Amongst the superficial measures taken in the aftermath of this tragedy was the arrest of an SUV driver who allegedly waded through the waterlogged road, contributing to the breaking of the gates at Rau’s IAS Study Circle, where the UPSC aspirants met their untimely deaths. According to the police, the pressure from the SUV driving through the flooded street was a factor in the gates giving way. This explanation seems absurdly misplaced. 

If a person drives through a waterlogged area, and the resulting water pressure breaks a gate, should the driver be blamed? The real culprits are the authorities who failed to construct adequate roads and drainage systems capable of handling rainwater, and those who permitted the coaching centre to operate without necessary permissions. It is preposterous that a person simply navigating the city streets in such conditions faces arrest while systemic failures by the administration are overlooked. 

Would this driver have been arrested for the same actions on a regular, dry day? The authorities appear to be engaging in a blame game, deflecting responsibility to avoid scrutiny. 

The civic body’s decision to initiate bulldozer action to remove encroachments blocking and covering drains, leading to waterlogging, is yet another example of superficial action. While these measures might appear decisive on the surface, they fail to address the root causes of the tragedy.

Sealing a handful of coaching centres and demolishing illegal structures does little to remedy the systemic failures in urban planning and infrastructure maintenance that contributed to this disaster. These actions seem more like an attempt to placate public outrage rather than implementing meaningful reforms. 

Another tragedy recently struck when UPSC aspirant Nilesh Rai was electrocuted while returning to his paying guest accommodation after a study session at a library. As he held onto an iron gate on a waterlogged street, a damaged red wire from a submersible pump in a neighbouring house had come into contact with the gate, leading to his fatal electrocution. He was rushed to RML Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. A magisterial inquiry into his death in South Patel Nagar last week confirmed these details. This earlier incident once again exposes the continued negligence of the civic administration, which failed to learn from past mistakes, ultimately resulting in another three avoidable deaths at Rau's IAS Study Circle.

Despite Rau's IAS Study Circle expressing deep condolences and committing full cooperation in the ongoing investigation, their press release fails to address critical questions regarding the regulatory and safety lapses that led to the tragedy. The statement does not clarify why the basement, designated for storage, was being used as a library, nor does it explain the lack of proper emergency measures that could have prevented the fatalities. Moreover, there is no mention of any immediate steps the coaching centre plans to take to ensure such a disaster does not recur, leaving significant concerns about accountability and future safety measures unanswered.

The Probe’s detailed investigation into these deaths has revealed shocking levels of negligence and oversight, demanding accountability from those truly responsible.

No Valid Papers To Show

The FIR filed by the police reveals damning details about the negligence surrounding Rau’s IAS Study Centre. When questioned by the authorities, the owner, Abhishek Gupta, admitted that he did not possess the necessary permits to operate a library in the basement. 

Furthermore, the FIR points out that the inadequate drainage system in the area led to severe road waterlogging, which subsequently flooded the basement. Gupta also confessed that the basement lacked any form of drainage system, worsening the situation and directly contributing to the tragic deaths of the three UPSC aspirants. 

A month before the tragic deaths at Rau's IAS Study Centre, a UPSC aspirant named Kishore Kumar Kushwaha flagged the issue of ‘illegal basements.’ On June 26, Kushwaha sent a detailed complaint to the Delhi government, highlighting that classes were being conducted in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Centre without the necessary permissions and a No Objection Certificate (NOC).

He warned that if no action was taken, the situation could soon become fatal for both students and staff. His complaint explicitly stated that these basements were set up in violation of civic regulations. However, the government failed to act on this warning.

Kushwaha's letter also revealed troubling allegations of corruption, noting that when he raised the issue with the concerned authorities, he was told that money from these illegal operations went to the Delhi Nagar Nigam Commissioner. This accusation of corruption within the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) exposes the systemic issues that allow such violations to persist. 

The letter further emphasised that numerous UPSC coaching centres were operating illegally, risking the lives of students by holding classes without proper permissions. Kushwaha urged the government to investigate these illegal activities thoroughly. If the concerned authorities had taken Kushwaha’s warnings seriously and acted on his complaint, the deaths of Tanya Soni, Shreya Yadav, and Nevin Delvin might have been prevented. 

Glaring Contradictions and Lack of Regulatory Oversight

The Probe has obtained the Completion cum Occupancy Certificate for the building which was granted in the year 2021, which reveals glaring contradictions in the stated adherence to safety and regulatory standards. The certificate states: “The site has been inspected with reference to Building Bye-Laws, Master Plan Delhi provisions, hygienic and sanitary conditions inside and in the surroundings and is declared fit for occupation.” It further mentions that the approving authority validates Architectural Drawings and Development Control norms only concerning the Building Bye Laws and Master Plan provisions. 

The certificate also clarifies that the technical drawings and documents submitted by the owner, consultant, architect, engineer, structural engineer, landscape architect, or urban designer are considered merely part of the records supporting the building permit. The responsibility for the correctness of the information and application of technical provisions rests entirely with these professionals, who are liable under the law.

The document reveals that the structural stability of the building is certified jointly by the owner, architect, and structural engineer, incorporating the relevant provisions of structural safety as specified in the prevailing IS Codes/Standards/Guidelines. This includes the Government of India Notification No. SO-248(E) dated March 21, 2001, and specific clauses and annexures of the Bye Laws. The fire safety clearance was based on approval from the Chief Fire Officer, Government of NCT of Delhi. Notably, the Authority or Local Body disclaims any responsibility for losses due to natural hazards or calamities.

Despite these stipulations, the DFS granted fire-safety clearance without apparently noticing or addressing the misuse of the basement for library purposes, which contravened the designated storage use. This points to a significant lapse in inspection or perhaps a superficial assessment, raising serious concerns about the thoroughness and integrity of the approval process.

What is most noteworthy in the report is the explicit statement that the Completion Certificate for Plot No. 11 has been issued in accordance with the enclosed drawings. These drawings provide detailed floor-by-floor descriptions and clearly outline the designated use of each area. Specifically, for the basement, the drawings indicate that it contains a staircase, lift lobby, toilet, parking space, household storage, and a car lift.

The critical question arises: how was this space, designated for household storage, being used as a library? This glaring misuse highlights an oversight in the enforcement of building regulations. It also raises serious concerns about the follow-up procedures: once the permit is granted, do the authorities ever conduct inspections to ensure that the building is being used according to the approved permit? The apparent lack of ongoing regulatory oversight and enforcement has allowed such dangerous violations to occur. 

The ongoing investigation has revealed further troubling details about the oversight and regulatory failures at Rau’s IAS Study Centre. On July 1 of this year, the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) inspected the premises and granted permission on July 9, explicitly stating that the basement was to be used solely for storage and the stilt above for parking. This official approval raises critical questions about the thoroughness of the DFS inspection.

Was it not the duty of the DFS to properly inspect the premises? Why could the DFS not see that a library was being run in the basement? Did the DFS inspect the premises at all, or did it grant permission on paper without carrying out any inspection? The DFS exercise was carried out between July 1 and July 9, barely a month before the sudden flooding of the basement led to the drowning of the three students.

Was the basement, which housed a library equipped with a biometric access system, actually inspected by the DFS officer? If an inspection was conducted, why wasn't it noted that the basement was being used for purposes other than storage? These discrepancies suggest either a severe lapse in the inspection process or a possibility that permission was granted without a proper inspection. Such negligence, whether due to oversight or corruption, has dire consequences, as evidenced by the recent tragic deaths.

The Fire Safety Certificate stated that the building comprised a basement (for storage), a stilt (for parking), ground plus three upper floors, which have complied with the fire prevention and fire safety requirements in accordance with Rule 33 of the Delhi Fire Service Rules, 2010. This was “verified by the team of officers concerned of this department on 01/07/2024 in the presence of Sh. Ashok Narang and found that the said building is fit for occupancy class ‘Educational Coaching Centre’ with effect from 09/07/2024 for a period of three years in accordance with Rule 36 unless renewed under Rule 37 or sooner cancelled under Rule 40 and subject to compliance with the conditions under Rule 38 of the Delhi Fire Service Rules, 2010.”

Will the police now take action against the junior and senior level DFS officers who inspected and was responsible for granting permission to the building? This question looms large as the investigation delves deeper into the regulatory lapses and accountability for the tragic incident. The integrity and effectiveness of the DFS’s inspection process are under severe scrutiny, demanding answers and accountability from the authorities involved.

Rau’s Study Circle proudly claims on its website that nearly one-third of the serving bureaucrats in the country were once their students. This assertion exposes the coaching centre’s influence in the corridors of power, boasting about its impressive achievements and marking its success. 

Videos that have surfaced on social media show the street outside the coaching centre completely waterlogged, indicating that the drains were blocked and there was no outlet for the water to escape. Shocked and shaken out of its slumber, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has now begun demolishing the covered drains to remove the blockages. This reaction, however, comes too late for the three young lives lost due to the apparent negligence and systemic failures of the city’s infrastructure management.

Political Blame Game and Passing the Buck

In the aftermath of the incident, the political blame game between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified. While the councillor and the MLA of the area belong to the AAP, the Lok Sabha member Bansuri Swaraj belongs to the BJP. Both sides have been quick to blame each other for the incident, which resulted from blatant violations of building and civic body regulations and norms, all under the full glare of an official machinery that looked the other way while UPSC aspirants thronged the coaching centres in the area for many years.

The BJP has accused the AAP of controlling the MCD and the Assembly, alleging that they turned a blind eye to blatant violations. The AAP, on the other hand, has claimed that these coaching centres had been operating illegally for a long time, and that Delhi’s Lt-Governor, who exercises control over the bureaucracy, failed to ensure that officers followed the directives of the Delhi government.

The investigation also revealed that there was no drainage system in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle. The only way to drain out water was by employing pumps, and when flooding occurred on Saturday night, precious time was lost in putting the pumps in place and operating them. By then, the students trapped inside could not be rescued, leading to the tragic deaths of the three UPSC aspirants. 

Angry students have been protesting in Old Rajinder Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar, and GTB Nagar areas in the North campus of Delhi University over the weekend, demanding action against the coaching institute, the MCD, its Mayor, and the local authorities of Old Rajinder Nagar. They blame the authorities for the administrative and systemic failures that led to the loss of their fellow students.

The protesting students have also alleged that their agitation is being hijacked by various student organisations like ABVP, NSUI, and AISF of Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University. However, they emphasise that their protest is solely for justice for their fellow UPSC aspirants and friends who lost their lives on Saturday night. They appeal to these organisations to refrain from politicising their protest and instead help them in securing justice.

The trust deficit is so massive that the protesting students have been demanding the authorities make the CCTV footage public. Witnesses report that on the day of the incident, seven ambulances were present at the scene. The students are questioning why seven ambulances were needed to transport three dead bodies, suggesting the possibility of more casualties. While these allegations may seem far-fetched, they explode the deep mistrust between the students and the authorities. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted a committee to inquire into the unfortunate incident. This committee is tasked with investigating the causes of the tragedy, fixing responsibility, suggesting measures, and recommending policy changes to prevent such incidents in the future.

The committee comprises the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Housing and Affairs (MoUHA), the Principal Secretary (Home) of the Delhi Government, the Special Commissioner of Police, the Fire Advisor, and a Joint Secretary from the MHA, who will act as the convener. The committee has been given 30 days to submit its report.

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