Delhi orders safety audits of 923 coaching centres within one month
The Delhi government has ordered comprehensive fire safety audits and inspections of approximately 923 coaching centres across the capital, focusing on prominent hubs such as Mukherjee Nagar, Rajender Nagar, and Katwaria Sarai. Education Minister Ashish Sood announced on Thursday that any institute found violating safety and building regulations will be sealed, with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) designated as the nodal agency to conduct the checks within a strict one-month deadline.
The directive follows a meeting chaired by Mr. Sood on Wednesday with officials from multiple government agencies. During the meeting, the minister directed the agencies to immediately begin safety checks in the city's major coaching hubs. The government's push for safety audits comes in the wake of a recent fire that engulfed a building in the Aliganj area of Lucknow on June 22, claiming 15 lives.
According to the minister, the authorities will ensure that coaching classes are operated only in locations that are fully permitted under existing safety regulations. Non-compliant institutes will face immediate sealing.
In addition to the physical inspections, the government is moving forward with a new regulatory framework to govern the functioning of these institutes. Mr. Sood stated that a committee has already been convened to draft these regulations, which are based on the recommendations of the Justice Gauba Committee. These guidelines will cover structural safety, quality standards, teacher qualifications, operational norms, and rules regarding advertisements published by coaching institutes.
The safety of coaching centres has been a critical issue in Delhi following a disaster in 2024, when a flooding incident in the basement of a UPSC coaching institute in Old Rajinder Nagar killed three students and left several others trapped. Following administrative reviews of that incident, Mr. Sood had previously announced that Delhi would introduce a framework to regulate student safety, fee structures, and infrastructural standards.
