The union home ministry has set up a committee headed by an additional secretary rank officer to investigate the deaths of three IAS aspirants at a coaching centre, caused by the flooding of the building's basement.
The committee is expected to submit its report in 30 days. The objectives of the committee is to determine the causes, assign responsibility, propose measures, and suggest policy amendments, according to a spokesperson from the home ministry.
The committee includes the additional secretary from the ministry of housing and urban affairs, principal secretary (home) of the Delhi government, the Special CP of Delhi Police and the Fire Advisor. A joint secretary level officer from the home ministry will be e convenor of the committee.
The tragedy occurred in the basement of a coaching center in Old Rajendra Nagar, central Delhi, where three IAS aspirants lost their lives on Saturday night due to flooding after heavy rainfall.
Following the incident, the Delhi Police detained the owner and the coordinator of the coaching centre, Rau's IAS Study Circle, charging them with culpable homicide among other offenses.
The matter echoed in Parliament on Monday, with legislators calling for accountability to be established to prevent such incidents in the future.
Dharmendra Pradhan speaks on deaths of IAS aspirants
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan termed the incident unfortunate and said there should be no politics over it.
“We must fix responsibility so that such incidents do not recur,” he said, adding, “There should be no politics… Negligence has happened and someone has to take responsibility so that a solution can be found.”
The Government of India sent advisories related to coaching centres to the states and Union Territories in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2024, the Union education minister said.
The advisories suggest “registration of coaching centre and minimum standards for that, what kind of safeguards it should take for students and continuous monitoring, including levying penalty if someone goes against it”
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