Drishti IAS Owner Vikas Divyakirti Addresses Delhi Coaching Centre Crackdown and Advocates for Comprehensive Safety Guidelines
Drishti IAS owner Vikas Divyakirti addresses student safety concerns following recent tragedies at Delhi coaching centres, highlighting regulatory complexities and proposing solutions.
Drishti IAS Owner Vikas Divyakirti Speaks Out on Delhi Coaching Centre Crackdown: Calls for Comprehensive Guidelines and Highlights Complexities of Student Safety Issues
Vikas Divyakirti, a renowned educator and owner of Drishti IAS, recently broke his silence following the tragic deaths of three civil services aspirants at a coaching centre in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar area. He emphasized that the issue of student safety in coaching centres is “more complicated than it appears”.
Divyakirti’s statement came a day after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) sealed the basements of several coaching centres, including one operated by Drishti IAS, for allegedly violating safety norms. In a social media post on Drishti IAS’s official X handle, Divyakirti extended his condolences to the families of the victims — Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni, and Nevin Dalwin.
Read more: Know the 3 students killed in Delhi IAS coaching centre flooding
“We express our deepest condolences on the untimely and painful demise of the three students. We pay our humble tributes to the three aspirants and pray to God to give courage to their families to bear this irreparable loss,” the post read.
Divyakirti acknowledged the validity of the students’ anger and called for properly channelled efforts and comprehensive guidelines for coaching institutes. “The anger among students is completely valid. It would be good if this anger is channelised in the right direction and the government lays down guidelines for coaching centres. We are ready to assist the government in this regard,” he stated.
He further elaborated on the complexity of the issue, noting the ambiguity and contradiction in the regulations from various bodies, including the DDA, MCD, and the Delhi Fire Department. “This problem related to coaching institutes is not as simple as it appears on the surface. It has many aspects which are linked to the ambiguity and contradiction of the laws,” Divyakirti wrote.
The educator also highlighted the lack of clear provisions for coaching institutes, pointing out that the only relevant document is the ‘Delhi Master Plan-2021’. He expressed hope that the committee appointed by the Union Home Ministry would address these issues in its forthcoming report.
Divyakirti emphasized Drishti IAS’s commitment to student safety, mentioning that the institute employs a Fire and Safety Officer and conducts regular safety audits. “At present, our management has a special post of ‘Fire and Safety Officer’ on which the officer working is a graduate from National Fire Service College (Nagpur) and has been working in big hospitals and malls for 14 years. In addition, an officer is assigned to each building to keep a check on the safety of 16 buildings daily,” he asserted.
He welcomed the extensive action taken by the Delhi Municipal Corporation and stated that Drishti IAS would soon release a detailed analysis of the matter. He proposed a long-term solution involving the government designating specific areas in Delhi for coaching institutes, which would include preparing classrooms, libraries, and hostels to address issues of high rent and security.
Reads more: Know the 3 students killed in Delhi IAS coaching centre flooding
In a conversation with news agency ANI, Divyakirti expressed feeling targeted in the crackdown. “In such cases, everyone wants a scapegoat. It makes things easier for the administration; they think they are safe, let that one person suffer, and even the society feels that they have got the accused,” he said.
He also explained his delayed reaction to the incident, attributing it to his nature. “I am not that vocal about emotional issues. Three students met a painful death. For the last three days, whenever we talk at home, or I go to sleep, an image comes to my mind of what those children must have gone through when the water was filled inside,” he revealed.
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Divyakirti concluded by mentioning a meeting he had with Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, along with students and other coaching centre owners, to discuss the issue with top officials from the DDA, MCD, and the fire department.
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