Several illegally-run IAS coaching centres, including 'Drishti', sealed in Delhi after students' death

New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has sealed the basements of six more coaching institutes in Central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar and one in North West Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar in a crackdown on illegally run establishments following the tragedy on Saturday in which three civil services aspirants died.

Several prominent coaching institutes like Dristi (The Vision) are among those facing action. The civic body also carried out an anti-encroachment drive in Old Rajindra Nagar to demolish structures that were covering the storm drains that led to flooding in the area, officials said on Monday.

The sealing drive will also be carried out against establishments illegally using basements for commercial activities in other parts of the city, MCD commissioner Ashwani Kumar told reporters.

So far, 20 basements of coaching centres that were illegally being used either as libraries or for providing classes in both Rajendra Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar have been sealed, the officials said.

"Till Sunday we took action against 13 basements of coaching institutes running in Rajendra Nagar. On Monday we resumed the sealing drive and sealed six more basements of such institutes in the same area.

"The MCD also carried out an anti-encroachment drive to remove structures covering the storm drains.

"Additionally, the basement of a coaching institute has been sealed in Mukherjee Nagar, where a sealing drive was also carried out by us," Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi said.

The names of prominent coaching centres which came under the MCD scanner on Monday include -- Drishti IAS Institute, Vaji Ram and Ravi IAS hub, and SriRam IAS Institute in Rajinder Nagar and Drishti (The Vision) in Mukherjee Nagar, according to an official statement.

Three basements in the building of Vaji Ram and Ravi IAS hub were sealed, it said.

The crackdown comes two days after three civil services aspirants died after a library housed in the basement of their coaching centre, Rau's IAS Study Circle, in Rajinder Nagar was inundated following heavy rain, and reportedly led to the failure of the single biometric entry and exit point.

"Whereas it has been brought to my notice that basement of single unit local shopping centre, Vardhman Mall, Nehru Vihar, (combined Basement of Tower 1, 2 and 3) is being used for coaching centre, teaching centre, institutes in the name and style as Dristi (The Vision) the instance of owner and occupier in violation of clause 15.9 of MPD-2021," read the notice pasted at the entrance of a coaching centre in Mukherjee Nagar.

Similar, notices were pasted at the entrance of the basements sealed by the civic body in both the areas.

Meanwhile, the closure of many libraries is causing a problem for students preparing for civil services.

A UPSC aspirant studying at one of the coaching centres in Mukherjee Nagar said libraries at most of the centres have been closed after the Saturday incident.

"I have to appear for UPSC Mains in one and a half months and the library at my centre has been closed. My books and all the preparation material are inside the library and now I am not allowed to collect my books," the student said.

"We got a message on Sunday night, saying we should collect our books, etc. from the library by 6 am today. I was sleeping so how was I supposed to collect them by morning. Most students here are preparing for UPSC Mains," the student added.

The MCD also terminated an officer and suspended another from the maintenance department for the lapse in containing waterlogging.

On Sunday, the civic body had sealed 13 illegal coaching centres in the area.

Rau's IAS Study Circle, where the three students died on Saturday, has already been sealed by police.