Vikas Divyakirti Ends Silence On Delhi Coaching Centre Flooding, Sealing Of Drishti IAS Basement. Know What He Said

Vikas Divyakirti of Drishti IAS condolences over the recent death of three IAS aspirants in Delhi as he expresses concerns over inconsistent regulations for coaching centers.

In the wake of a tragic incident that claimed the lives of three students in the basement of a coaching institute in Delhi's Rajinder Nagar, Vikas Divyakirti, founder of Drishti IAS, has voiced concerns over regulatory inconsistencies affecting coaching centres. His remarks came following the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) sealing of Drishti IAS’s basement.

In a press release issued by Drishti IAS, Divyakirti conveyed deep condolences for the loss of Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni, and Nevin Dalwin, the civil services aspirants who died in the flooding incident on 27 July. "We express our deepest condolences on the untimely and painful demise of the three students. We pay our humble tributes to the three aspirants and pray to God to give courage to their families to bear this irreparable loss," the statement read.

Divyakirti acknowledged the justified anger among students, emphasising the need for properly channelled efforts and the implementation of comprehensive guidelines for coaching institutes. He pointed out the ambiguity and contradictions in the regulations from various authorities, including the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and the Delhi Fire Department.

"There is inconsistency in the rules of DDA, MCD, and Delhi Fire Department. Similarly, there is a lot of contradiction in the provisions of 'Master Plan of Delhi 2021', 'National Building Code', 'Delhi Fire Service Rules' and 'Unified Building Bye Laws'," he noted.

Highlighting Drishti IAS’s commitment to student safety, Divyakirti asserted that the institute employs a 'Fire and Safety Officer' with extensive experience and conducts regular safety audits. "We can say with full confidence that Team Drishti is extremely cautious about the safety of the students. Currently, there is a special post of 'Fire and Safety Officer' in Drishti’s management," he stated.

The press release also supported MCD's recent actions and suggested a long-term solution by designating specific areas in Delhi for coaching institutes, thereby ensuring compliance with safety norms and reducing rental pressures. "A permanent solution to this problem is that the government should select three-four areas in Delhi and designate them for coaching institutes," the statement proposed.

Vikas Divyakirti On Being 'Targeted', Sealing Of Drishti IAS Basement & More

In an interview with news agency ANI, Divyakirti discussed his recent meeting with the Delhi LG. "This issue is being handled by the LG, there were a lot of bureaucrats but no leader of the Delhi Government was there. It was good to see that the LG was so active. A small committee has been formed of which I and several other teachers are also present, and DDA and MCD heads are also part. After conducting meetings, we will try to find a solution," he explained.

Addressing allegations of being targeted, Divyakirti said, "I am getting targeted because in such cases, everyone wants a scapegoat. It makes things easier for the administration, they think they are safe, let that one person suffer, and even the society feels that they have got the accused. The students are going through an emotional turmoil, the reason for their anger is why did I not stand with them."

"The sealing action took place on more than 50 institutes, one of them is ours. Three children died, it was a painful death. For the last three days whenever we talk at home or I go to sleep, an image comes to my mind of what those children must have gone through when the water was filled inside. All the things said by the students who are protesting right now are valid. It is good that I have met three-four students today. I had a meeting with the Delhi LG. Some students had also come to that meeting and there were also owners of many institutes. There were also top officials of the Delhi government, from DDA, MCD, fire department, Chief Secretary," he added.

Divyakirti also agreed with the decision to seal the basement but highlighted broader issues. "We completely agree that the basement should be sealed. But Delhi Metro runs in the basement, underground, and Palika Bazar is in the basement itself. Almost every mall in Delhi has very big shopping complexes in the basement because the basement there has been built properly."

He emphasised, "I am saying on record that we have submitted the complete layout structure of the basement to MCD, DDA and the fire department for NOC, and there has been no rejection from there till now. But despite this, after seeing the incident that happened in the last three days, I feel that this was carelessness. The thought never came to our mind and I am saying very openly that even if we get the permission in future, we will not work in the basement. I assure you of this and not a single coaching institute should run in the basement."

Divyakirti further elaborated on the safety measures at Drishti IAS, stating, "The kind of effort we put in the matter of building safety norms, I am sure that you will not find it anywhere. We appointed a divisional head rank officer 1.5 years ago, who only looks after the safety of the building. In January 2023, we created a WhatsApp group, I am its member, the work of that group is to check 16 points whether the doors are open, the fire exit is clear, there is no obstruction on it, the roof doors are open so that in case of an emergency, students can be taken out. These 16 points are checked daily."

"I would like you to get a chance if you can do a survey, go to any of our branches in Delhi or outside Delhi, if any building does not have at least two exits, then I am responsible. We do not take such buildings on rent which do not have fire exits. Only so that under no circumstances the life of any child or staff is compromised. This is our intention. I made a mistake in understanding, I apologise to the entire country, the entire society that a mistake was made, that the mistake should not be repeated in future," he stated.

Students Protest Outside Drishti IAS Centre In Delhi, MCD Seals Basement

In response to the incident, hundreds of students protested outside the Drishti IAS centre in Mukherjee Nagar, demanding justice. Videos circulating on social media showed students chanting slogans such as "we want justice". The MCD's crackdown has led to the sealing of 20 basements used for coaching purposes in Rajinder Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar, including prominent institutes like Vaji Ram and Ravi IAS hub, and SriRam IAS Institute, news agency PTI reported.

The MCD's notice, as cited by PTI, highlighted violations at these establishments. "Whereas it has been brought to my notice that the 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) in violation of clause 15.9 of MPD-2021," read the notice at a coaching centre in Mukherjee Nagar.

Divyakirti stated that Drishti IAS plans to release a detailed analysis to clarify the complexities of the issue, aiming to bring transparency and understanding among all stakeholders. "We will soon release a detailed analysis to clarify the complexities of this issue so that all students and other stakeholders can understand all aspects," he concluded.

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