Delhi Coaching Centres Face Closure For Lack Of Fire Safety, Students Worried

With the closure of coaching institutes that do not have no objection certificate from the fire department, students in Delhi said they are worried about their studies and do not see online classes as a convenient mode for preparation.

The Delhi High Court yesterday directed the city authorities to close down all coaching centres operating without a NOC from the fire services department.

Yateen, a 22-year-old SSC aspirant, said it will lead to a loss in education and opined that the virtual mode of classes is not as convenient as the physical ones.

"If the coaching institutes are shut, there will be a loss in the education of the students. We won't be able to catch up in online classes much. Classes were called off for 10 days when the fire broke out in June. We have adapted to the online mode but we face a lack of concentration," Yateen told PTI.

A fire broke out at a coaching institute in Mukherjee Nagar in New Delhi on June 15.

The high court observed that "fire safety is a must" and all coaching centres are under an obligation to comply with their statutory requirements under the Delhi Master Plan, 2021, and other applicable regulations.

Recalling the fire at his coaching centre last month, Arjun Singh (an SSC aspirant) said that it is the responsibility of coaching institute management to take care of all these safety measures.

"I was there when the fire broke out. I saw how students came out of the building. Several students got injured. It is the responsibility of the coaching institute management to take care of all these safety measures. All institutes should get NOC from the fire department because we never know what the future has in store for us," Mr Singh told PTI.

He further added that online classes are not sufficient and it is difficult to clarify doubts in virtual mode of education.

The Delhi Police also informed the Delhi High Court that of the 583 coaching institutes running in the national capital, only 67 have no-objection certificates (NOC) from the Delhi Fire Services.

"It's really hard to manage timings in online classes. We also lack motivation in online classes," said Vishal Ghatani, who has been preparing for the civil services exam.

Another SSC aspirant, Shreya Singh, said the buildings of their coaching centres are old and it is important for the institutions to ensure the safety of their students.

"Buildings are really old over here and it should be their first concern. We have already been through online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. I don't want it anymore. It is tough to concentrate during online classes. Also, not everyone has all the resources like WiFi and computer for online classes," Shreya told PTI.

One of the coaching institutes in Mukherjee Nagar, Tapasya Academy was shut last month by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said several coaching institutes had been functioning at Mukherjee Nagar for years without fire department's NOC and all such institutes were shut last month.

"There were hundreds of coaching centres that were functioning without the fire department's NOC for years in Mukherjee Nagar. All of them were shut down last month by the MCD. We have suspended all classes temporarily and are not holding online classes either," one of the managers of Tapasya Academy told PTI.

Ek Prayas coaching centre for SSC aspirants said they have been holding online classes for a month despite having the NOC from the fire department.

The high court asked the police, the fire services department and other authorities to provide all logistical support to the MCD to comply with the order of closure within 30 days.

If there are structures other than coaching centres that are not complying, the MCD shall take action, it added.

On June 16, the high court took cognisance of the fire at the coaching institute in northwest Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar the previous day. A few students suffered minor injuries while climbing down the building using ropes, according to officials.

Taking note of a news report that showed students of the institute smashing windows and climbing down ropes in a desperate attempt to escape, the high court asked the local authorities to file a status report.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)