“Negligence…”: Union Education Minister On Delhi Students’ Basement Deaths

The death of three students in Delhi last week – they drowned after the basement of a tuition centre in the city’s Rajendra Nagar area was flooded – is due to “negligence”, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Monday amid demands by the opposition to identify those at fault.

Mr Pradhan did not, however, identify the individual(s), or government body, whose negligence caused the deaths of 25-year-old Tania Soni and Shreya Yadav, and Navin Delvin, 28. He would only stress education policies are framed by both states and the centre as it is in the concurrent list.

“There was negligence. Only when accountability is fixed… will there be a solution. It is our responsibility to ensure that such an incident is not repeated….” Mr Pradhan, who is part of the opposition BJP that has targeted Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party over the students’ death, said.

He referred to guidelines set forth by the centre (in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2024) that recommends “minimum standards” and advises states maintain a record of coaching institutions.

Some states, however, have their own guidelines, he said.

“Centre, in January, sent an advisory to states… this is in the public (domain). Had states followed it, this unfortunate incident would not have happened,” the Union Minister declared.

It would not be appropriate for states to move away from such responsibilities, he said.

The Education Minister – also under fire over allegations of leaked question papers for the NEET-UG and UGC-NET competitive examinations – offered condolences to the families of the three students.

“Nothing can compensate the families for their loss,” he said.

Mr Pradhan was responding to a question by Congress MP KC Venugopal, who wanted to know how coaching centres like the one in question – Rau’s IAS Study Circle – had mushroomed, and become a hugely profitable business venture without the requisite permits and clearances.

“Is the government going to take any action?” Mr Venugopal asked.

Preliminary inquiries into the Rajendra Nagar coaching centre’s paperwork have thrown up multiple violations, including fake documentation to secure a clearance from the fire department.

READ | Delhi Coaching Centre Loses Fire Safety Nod After Basement Tragedy

It also seems the coaching centre violated rules that said the basement could only be used as a parking and storage space; Rau’s IAS Study Circle had converted the space into a library.

NDTV Explains | How Delhi Coaching Centre Put Students’ Lives In Danger

Heavy rain in the city last week, compounded by blocked drains in the area, which spat out rain water and untreated sewage that flooded the streets – caused the students’ deaths.

The poor infrastructure in these parts, home to hundreds of coaching centres that train candidates for competitive exams, were highlighted by a student who wrote to Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.

READ | “A Living Hell”: Delhi Student To CJI On Coaching Centre Deaths

“Due to rain, the basement got filled with water and three students lost their lives. Sir, areas like Mukherjee Nagar and Rajendra Nagar are facing the problem of waterlogging every year for many years due to the negligence of the Municipal Corporation. We have to walk in knee-deep drain water… today students like us are preparing for (our exams) while living a life of hell…” he said.

Also, parts of the coaching centre deemed to have been illegally built were demolished this morning.

A fourth student – Nilesh Rai, 26, was electrocuted in Patel Nagar.

READ | UPSC Aspirant Electrocuted On Waterlogged Road In Delhi: Cops

This morning a Junior Engineer with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the city’s civic body, which is controlled by the AAP, was sacked and a senior staffer suspended.

Seven people, including the coaching centre’s owner, Abhishek Gupta, have been arrested and face charges that include culpable homicide. They have been sent to jail for 14 days.

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