UPSC aspirants' hub high on dreams, low on safety standards

Thursday’s fire at a coaching centre in north-west Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar has reignited concerns about fire safety violations and other civic issues in densely populated educational hubs. At the same time, the incident also sparked an overnight protest by as many as 300 students, who demanded safer study conditions and confirmation that all students were safely evacuated from the burning building.

- Aheli Das

Police were able to disperse the protesters from outside the coaching centre Friday morning by providing assurances of everyone’s safety after taking a small group of the students into the building’s charred interiors to convince them that all were evacuated.

A senior police officer said the students’ concerns were addressed, particularly that evidence was not tampered with and that all students were safely evacuated from the building.

Mukherjee Nagar is a renowned educational hub four kilometres from Delhi University’s North Campus. It is widely known for its coaching centres -- civic officials estimate that there are 400 big and small coaching centres spread across 400 acres in this region -- and private commercial libraries, attracting thousands of students preparing for civil services, bank entrance, and other competitive exams. Many students, including those enrolled in Delhi University colleges, also reside here as paying guests.