The recent incident in Rajendra Nagar shocked the entire country. Due to basement flooding, three students died in the library of Rau IAS Study Circle. This incident has uncovered the bitter truth that many coaching centers, libraries, paying guest accommodations, and offices are operating under false norms of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The concern with basements is real because, for building owners, they have become a significant source of income by converting them into libraries, coaching offices, paying guest accommodations, photocopy shops, stationery stores, food shops, etc. The shocking thing is that these shops, PGs, and libraries have commercial electricity meters. If commercial activities are not allowed in basements, how are these commercial electricity meters functioning there?
Who is to blame?
A crucial question must be asked: who is responsible for the deaths of these three students? Students and the public are in a dilemma, blaming the central government, Delhi government, building owners, and coaching owners. During protests, students are expressing their anger towards all these stakeholders with slogans like “MCD haay! haay!” and “Coaching mafia haay! haay!” demanding justice. If we analyze the entire situation, all stakeholders, including the MP of Rajendra Nagar, MLA of Rajendra Nagar, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, building owners, and coaching owners, are collectively responsible. Legislative bodies have failed to implement laws, and even when they have, coaching and building owners have flouted the norms, risking the lives of students. They need to ensure they do not cram 500-600 students into a single space, prioritize fire safety, and avoid using biometric locks without proper safety measures.
Condition of Paying Guests
Paying guest accommodations must be brought under scrutiny. In this scenario, most of the media is focusing on coaching classes, and they have also sealed classes of various institutes operating in basements. However, they are not highlighting the living conditions of students. Many students are still living in basements without any windows for ventilation. The PG owners are charging exorbitant rates for small rooms, often the size of bathrooms. In many cases, they have even created cabins on balconies, where students are forced to live. These cabins are made of plywood or tin, which are not weather-friendly and can be suffocating.
Why Celebrity teachers are criticised?
Pic credit: Times Now Bharat
The competitive exam teachers like Vikas Divyakirti, Khan Sir, Avadh Ojha, and Shubhra Ranjan are very popular among students, especially on social media. They are often seen on podcasts where they provide motivation for students, recite poetry and shayari, and even offer political opinions, such as who should be the Prime Minister of the country. In this grave situation, when students needed them most, both virtually and physically, these teachers were notably absent from the protest sites. They were also inactive on social media for 3-4 days. When they finally spoke, it was through podcasts, offering clarifications rather than support.
Students are upset with these teachers because, despite preaching philosophy and ethics on platforms like YouTube, they did not provide the tangible support that was expected during this crisis. Additionally, the coaching institutes run by these teachers charge high fees, ranging from 2-3 lakhs for a year’s course, yet they reportedly lack essential safety measures. These institutes have been running classes in basements without proper fire safety measures or separate exit doors.
What needs to be done now?
Students are protesting at Rajendra Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar, Nehru Vihar, and other sites. Their demands must be heard, recorded, and implemented. Strict laws are needed for coaching institutes, and violators must be punished. There must also be scrutiny of PG accommodations and libraries, with regulations for rents, bills, and the prevention of illegal construction of various shops.
–Vikash Kumar, Research Scholar, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
