Vikas Divyakirti Addresses Tragic Deaths Of Civil Services Aspirants And Calls For Comprehensive Safety Guidelines

On Tuesday, Vikas Divyakirti, a well-known teacher and the owner of Drishti IAS, addressed the recent deaths of three civil services aspirants at a coaching center in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar. He stated that the issue of students' safety is "more complicated than it appears."

This statement followed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) sealing the basements of several coaching centers, including one run by Drishti IAS, for allegedly violating safety norms.

In a social media post on Drishti IAS's official X handle, Divyakirti expressed his condolences to the families of the three victims of the basement tragedy—Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni, and Nevin Dalwin. The post read, "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."

Divyakirti acknowledged the students' anger as valid and called for properly channelled efforts and comprehensive guidelines for coaching institutes. He stated, "The anger among students is completely valid. It would be good if this anger is channelised in the right direction and the government lays down guidelines for coaching centres. We are ready to assist the government in this regard."

He also highlighted the complexity of the problem, pointing out inconsistencies and contradictions in regulations from various bodies, including the DDA, MCD, and the Delhi Fire Department. "This problem related to coaching institutes is not as simple as it appears on the surface. It has many aspects which are linked to the ambiguity and contradiction of the laws," Divyakirti wrote. He noted that there is no provision for coaching institutes in any document except the 'Delhi Master Plan-2021'.

Emphasizing their commitment to student safety, Divyakirti mentioned that Drishti IAS employs a Fire and Safety Officer and conducts regular safety audits of its coaching centers. He stated, "At present, our management has a special post of ‘Fire and Safety Officer’ on which the officer working is a graduate from National Fire Service College (Nagpur) and has been working in big hospitals and malls for 14 years. In addition, an officer is assigned to each building to keep a check on the safety of 16 buildings daily."

Divyakirti welcomed the extensive action taken by the Delhi Municipal Corporation and mentioned that Drishti IAS would soon come up with a detailed analysis of the matter. He suggested that the government should designate specific areas in Delhi for coaching institutes and prepare classrooms, libraries, and hostels to avoid problems related to high rent and security.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Divyakirti mentioned feeling targeted in the aftermath of the incident, saying, "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."

When asked about the delay in his response to the incident, Divyakirti attributed it to his nature, stating, "I am not that vocal about emotional issues. Three students met 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."

He also mentioned meeting with Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, students, other institute owners, and top officials from various departments, including the DDA, MCD, and the fire department.