Times When Students' Lives Were Risked Due to Negligence of Coaching Institutes and Hostel Admins

New Delhi: In a tragic incident on Saturday, three UPSC aspirants lost their lives at Rau's IAS Study Circle in Old Rajendra Nagar, Delhi, after heavy rainfall led to the flooding of the institute’s basement. The deceased students, identified as Shriya, Naveen, and Tania, died due to major lapses in the building's infrastructure, including the absence of fire exits, poor ventilation, and a single spiral staircase.

This heartbreaking event is not an isolated case. Similar instances of negligence by coaching institutes and hostel administrations have put the lives of students at risk multiple times in the past. Here are some notable incidents:

May 2019: Surat Fire Tragedy

A massive fire engulfed the Takshashila complex in Surat, resulting in the deaths of 22 students, aged between 4 and 21. The fire, which started on the first floor due to a spark in an air conditioner's outer unit, spread rapidly due to highly inflammable materials and the wooden staircase. Most students died from suffocation or jumping off the building. Following the incident, authorities arrested 14 individuals, including officials from the Surat Fire and Emergency Services and the building's developers. However, they are out on bail. The lack of fire safety measures in similar institutes in Jaipur and Kota was also highlighted.

The fire broke out around 5 pm on the roof of the Takshashila complex, which had covered the terrace to run summer classes for students along with other coaching centres. The entire floor was illegal. Moreover, highly inflammable materials like car tyre and wooden desks caused the fire to spread fast. The staircase connecting the floor to the rest of the building was also made out of wood and it too caught fire due to which the students could not use the stairs to escape. 

A day after the incident, officials said a majority of such centres in Jaipur and Kota lacked emergency exits, fire alarms, smoke detectors and fire hydrants.

Five years on, the parents of the deceased are still fighting for justice. “What is the point of justice if it is served after 15 or 20 years of the incident? This incident was one of the biggest tragedies of the country but it is not being run in fast track court despite our demands,” said Jayshukh Gajera, father of a deceased student said on May 24, 2024. 

Jaipur chief fire officer Jagdish Phulwaria had then said that the Jaipur Municipal Corporation had conducted a safety audit of such coaching institutes in 2018, of which 100 were issued notices for flouting fire safety norms. Around 50 institutes were found to be legal of which 10 were given No Objection Certificates by the fire department.

According to a fire safety audit of 605-high rise building conducted in March this year in Kota, about 90% of buildings, institutes and hostels lacked fire safety equipment or were equipped with malfunctioning fire safety systems, said Kota chief fire officer Gautam Lal.

June 2023: Mukherjee Nagar Fire Incident

A fire broke out in a coaching center in Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi, causing students to escape through windows, some even using wires to climb down. The fire started in the building's electricity meter, causing panic and leading to injuries among four students. Prompt rescue operations involved 11 fire tenders, but the lack of adequate safety measures was evident. Click here to read what happened in the incident. 

April 2024: Kota Hostel Fire

In April 2024, a short circuit in a transformer caused a fire in a hostel at Kunhadi in Kota, Rajasthan. Seven students were injured while trying to escape. The hostel lacked proper fire safety equipment and an emergency exit, causing panic and injuries. Authorities booked the hostel owner and director for negligence.

All the students were sleeping in their rooms when the fire broke out. However, many of them tried to escape out of panic once they noticed the fire and smoke that covered the entire hostel. While some of them tried to jump off the balcony of the first and second floor, many of them also came down by stairs immediately.

“Prima facie, the fire safety arrangements were not in place in the hostel. There was also no emergency exit gate, causing panic among the students and leaving many of them injured while trying to escape from the main exit. They did not have the required no-objection certificates for the transformer. We will quiz the management once the FSL report arrives. Further investigation is underway,” the SP had said.

January 2023: Pune Educational Institute Fire

A fire erupted in the early hours at an educational institute in Sadashiv Peeth, Pune leading to the death of hostel manager Rahul Kulkarni. About 40 girl students and a family managed to escape to an adjacent building using a ladder. The institute, which included classrooms and residential arrangements, lacked adequate fire safety measures, contributing to the chaos. 

June 2023: Closure of Non-Compliant Coaching Institutes in Noida and Greater Noida

In June 2023, the district inspector of schools in Gautam Buddha Nagar ordered the shutdown of 10 coaching institutes in Noida and Greater Noida for failing to comply with fire safety norms and the UP Coaching Regulation Act 2005. Despite prior directives to adhere to safety standards, these institutes neglected the regulations, leading to their closure. Earlier, the department had issued directives to 54 coaching institutes, including these 10 institutes, to follow fire norms as well as UP’s coaching law.

These incidents underscore the urgent need for stringent enforcement of safety regulations in coaching institutes and hostels to prevent such tragedies. Proper infrastructure, regular safety audits, and strict compliance with fire safety norms are essential to ensure the well-being of students. Authorities must take decisive action against negligent institutions to safeguard the lives of students pursuing their education in these facilities.