Delhi Government to Introduce Law Regulating Coaching Centers After Student Deaths
News Mania Desk/Agnibeena Ghosh/1st August 2024
The Delhi government plans to introduce a law to regulate coaching centers in the city, mandating specific infrastructure, teacher qualifications, and fee structures. This announcement comes from Education Minister Atishi, following the tragic death of three students who drowned in a flooded basement of a coaching institute due to a local downpour.
Highlighting the urgency of the issue, Atishi pointed out that the coaching industry is widespread across India but lacks a central regulatory law. She emphasized that the Delhi government would not wait for the central government to act and will bring forth its own Coaching Institutes Regulation Act. This act will regulate all coaching centers in Delhi, similar to how private schools, hospitals, and nursing homes are governed.
Education falls under the concurrent list of the constitution, meaning both the Centre and the states can legislate on the matter. Atishi outlined that the new law would set minimum infrastructure requirements, specify teacher qualifications, and regulate fees. Additionally, the law will prevent coaching centers from issuing misleading advertisements and will include regular inspections to ensure compliance.
The recent incident involving the drowning deaths revealed that Rau’s IAS Circle, the coaching center in question, was improperly using a basement meant for storage and parking as a library. In response, Atishi announced the formation of a committee to draft the new bill. This committee will include officials from the Delhi government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the fire department, and students. The Delhi government’s higher education department will be responsible for drafting the bill.
Atishi ruled out consultations with coaching center owners at this time and called for legal action against those violating existing laws. She emphasized the need for criminal action against the owners of these coaching centers, with the MCD actively sealing basements and issuing notices for violations. Law and order in Delhi, which falls under the Union government’s jurisdiction via the Lieutenant Governor, will play a crucial role in enforcing these measures.
Although Delhi is not traditionally seen as a coaching hub like Kota or Sikar, it hosts tens of thousands of students annually who come to prepare for exams like UPSC, banking, and CA. Areas such as Rajendra Nagar, where the drowning incident occurred, along with Mukherjee Nagar, Preet Vihar, and Laxmi Nagar, have become significant centers for the coaching industry.
Atishi also released an email ID (coaching.law.feedback@gmail.com) for public feedback on the proposed bill. She and her colleagues, including Ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj, Gopal Rai, Mayor Shelly Oberoi, and other Delhi government officials, met with a group of UPSC aspirants to discuss their concerns and gather input. Atishi assured the students that their issues, particularly those related to infrastructure and fees, would be addressed in the new legislation.
Since the tragic incident, the MCD has sealed the basements of 30 coaching institutes and issued notices to 200 others for various violations. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva criticized the AAP government for not addressing this issue sooner, questioning why such a law was not introduced over the past decade. He accused AAP leaders of avoiding responsibility for the recent tragedy and suggested that the proposed Coaching Act should have been enacted years ago.
