SC seeks interim measures to secure training institutes within a month | Education

A bench headed by Justice Surya Kant said, “The unfortunate incident took place in Delhi, but it can happen anywhere else too. We might have thought of extending this matter to the whole of India, but now there is a committee constituted by the central government.”

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Attorney General R. Venkataramani, appearing for the central government, submitted the appointment of the committee constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on July 30, days after the tragic incident at Rau's IAS college in Delhi that resulted in fatalities.

of three students who drowned in the flooded basement of the library building.

This committee comprised bureaucrats from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Home Department of the Government of Delhi, and officials from the Delhi Police and Fire Service, and was tasked with determining the cause of the Delhi incident, identifying those responsible, and taking action, including policy changes, to prevent such incidents in the future.

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The court also allowed the governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to assist the MHA committee with their suggestions “so that uniform initiatives can be taken within the NCR to ensure better coordination among different agencies and government departments.”

The court also asked them to file affidavits explaining the legislative measures taken and the regulatory mechanism in place to prevent incidents like the one in Delhi.

Venkataramani informed the court that a meeting of the committee had concluded and its recommendations would be submitted to the court within two months. The bench, also comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, observed, “Let them expedite the process. They must consider political and administrative interventions. Any recommendation must be made promptly otherwise the action taken will not be considered prompt.”

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On the court's insistence, the Attorney General assured that the committee would submit interim measures in four weeks. The court was informed that the Delhi High Court had recently formed a task force to plug the loopholes that had emerged from the Delhi incident. The court allowed this panel to continue its work and observed, “We are investigating this matter in a larger context which is beyond the jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court.” The court directed the committee to seriously consider the suggestions of all concerned.

The Attorney General pointed out that the Committee had so far pointed out a lack of vigilance in the enforcement of laws. The court observed: “We can say that the implementation is deficient if only one mechanism is in place. If a building structure is meant

for residential purposes, then how can non-residential purposes take place? They are not designed for this type of activity. This is where the lack of enforcement of the rules comes in.”

The top court's order came on a petition filed by the Coaching Federation of India challenging a Delhi High Court order dated December 14, 2023, requiring coaching institutes to obtain a mandatory Fire Safety No-Objection Certificate (NOC) and certificate.

in terms of the Master Plan for Delhi-2021 and the safety norms for buildings/structures under the Uniform Building Rules, 2016. The Supreme Court had dismissed the suit last month with costs of ₹1 lakh, but expanded its scope to address security concerns

from these institutes, whereby the examination is not only limited to Delhi but also to the NCR states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

The Delhi incident took place on July 27 and resulted in the death of three students – Tanya Soni, Shreya Yadav and Nevin Delvin – at Rau's IAS Study Circle in Old Rajendra Nagar. The court also accepted the petition of the father of one of the victims.

(Shreya Yadav) should intervene in the matter and schedule the case for hearing next month.

During the previous hearing, the top court had observed that coaching institutes cannot become “death chambers” while terming the deaths as cruel and unfortunate. Terming the three deaths as an “eye-opener”, the court observed on August 5, “No coaching institute,

not only in Delhi but also within the NCR, permission should be granted unless safety norms and other fire safety norms necessary for students and other basic amenities required for a dignified human life are scrupulously maintained.”

Describing what these safety standards would include, the court said: “Such safety standards must necessarily include adequate ventilation, safety passages, air and light and such other requirements as may be prescribed by statutory measures or regulations.” The court

stressed that it is disturbing that students from different parts of the country come with great expectations and believe that they will get all these facilities. It said: “The gruesome, unfortunate incident that claimed the lives of some young aspirants who had joined a coaching centre,

because their career goals are a revelation to everyone.”