Delhi orders safety audits of 923 coaching centres within one month
On Thursday, June 25, 2026, Education Minister Ashish Sood announced that the Delhi government will conduct comprehensive safety inspections and fire audits of approximately 923 coaching centres across the city, warning that those violating safety and building norms will be sealed. The inspections will specifically target major coaching hubs including Mukherjee Nagar, Rajender Nagar, and Katwaria Sarai, with authorities given a strict one-month deadline to complete the checks.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been designated as the nodal agency to carry out the fire audits and safety inspections. Minister Sood stated that a committee meeting has already been convened to prepare regulations for these institutes, based on the recommendations of the Justice Gauba Committee.
These regulatory recommendations cover structural safety, quality standards, teacher qualifications, operational norms, and guidelines regarding advertisements published by coaching institutes. Minister Sood emphasized that authorities will ensure coaching classes are conducted only at locations permitted under safety regulations.
The directive follows a meeting chaired by Mr. Sood on Wednesday with officials from multiple government agencies. The decision to enforce these safety measures comes in the wake of a recent fire incident in the Aliganj area of Lucknow on June 22, which claimed 15 lives.
Additionally, the government's move to establish a regulatory framework follows administrative reviews after a 2024 flooding incident in the basement of a UPSC coaching institute in Old Rajinder Nagar, which killed three students and left others trapped. The upcoming framework aims to address student safety, fee structures, and infrastructural standards.
Earlier in June 2026, Mr. Sood had indicated that Delhi would soon implement a regulatory framework specifically designed to govern the functioning of these coaching institutes. The framework is intended to address critical issues such as student safety, fee structures, and infrastructural standards, among other concerns. Under the new directives, any coaching centre found flouting safety norms and building regulations during the audits will face immediate closure and sealing by the authorities.
