Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday likened the culture of coaching centres to "gas chambers," emphasising the need to scrutinise the significant expenditures these centres incur on newspaper advertisements. "Coaching has become a flourishing industry with high returns and the kind of advertisements, I said, need to be examined," he said. His remarks came during a short-duration discussion under Rule 176 on the deaths of three UPSC aspirants in a coaching centre in Delhi due to waterlogging.
Dhankhar expressed concern over the commercialisation of coaching, stating, "I find that the youth demographic dividend of the country has to be nurtured, I further find that coaching has become virtually commerce." He highlighted the substantial earnings of coaching centres, which he described as a "flourishing industry with high returns."
"Every time we read a newspaper, the front one or two pages are filled with advertisements from coaching centres. Every penny spent on advertisement is coming from the students, every new building is coming from the students," Dhankhar said. He further urged members to inform youths about other employment and skill opportunities available in the country.
He also referred to coaching as a silo which is "no less than a gas chamber".
Reflecting on the lack of cooperation from some floor leaders, Dhankhar lamented, "Let me share my anguish, let me share my pain. This Chairman, when he makes a request for honourable members for a conference in the chamber, this rebuff is not only unprecedented but a dilution of Parliamentary decorum." He called the virtual boycott by floor leaders an unhealthy practice.
The discussion was initiated after Rajya Sabha members, including Sudhanshu Trivedi and Swati Maliwal, gave notice under Rule 267 to discuss the deaths of the UPSC aspirants. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju was prepared to discuss the matter under Rule 267, citing its urgency. However, opposition leaders, including Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, refused to participate, leading Dhankhar to clarify that such matters would only be discussed with the consensus of the House.
Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala demanded a law to regulate the fee structure and ensure the safety of students in coaching centres.
Delhi Coaching Centre Deaths: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Calls For 'Fixing Responsibility'
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan addressed the incident, terming it unfortunate and stressing the need for accountability. "Nothing would compensate for the loss the bereaved families have suffered," Pradhan said. "We must fix responsibility so that such incidents do not recur. There should be no politics... Negligence has happened, and someone has to take responsibility so that a solution can be found."
Pradhan noted that education falls under the concurrent list, making it a joint responsibility of the Centre and the states. He mentioned that the Government of India had sent advisories related to coaching centres to the states and Union Territories in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2024. These advisories included recommendations for registration, minimum standards, safeguards for students, and continuous monitoring with penalties for non-compliance.
"Some states such as Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Manipur have their own regulations," Pradhan said. "Considering this, the government in January 2024 sent an advisory to states. That is already in public. Had the state governments followed it, this unfortunate incident would not have happened."
Pradhan criticised the state governments for shirking their responsibilities, emphasising the need for proper implementation of these advisories. He also addressed concerns raised by some Rajya Sabha members about the country's education system, attributing them to "pseudo-intellectualism."
The three IAS aspirants who lost their lives in the incident were identified as Shreya Yadav (25) of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni (25) from Telangana, and Nevin Delvin (24) from Ernakulam, Kerala.
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