New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday highlighted the need for "uniform standards" to enhance the safety and security of students at coaching centres across the nation. This statement came during the proceedings concerning the tragic deaths of three civil service aspirants at a coaching centre in Delhi in July.

Incident Overview

On July 27, Shreya Yadav (25) from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni (25) from Telangana, and Nevin Delvin (24) from Kerala drowned in the basement library of Rau's IAS Study Circle in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area. The incident occurred after heavy rains caused the basement to flood.

Amicus Curiae's Recommendations

During the hearing, senior advocate Siddharth Dave, acting as amicus curiae, informed the court about the critical areas requiring attention. He highlighted essential aspects such as fire safety, fee regulation, the student-to-classroom area ratio, the student-to-teacher ratio, installation of CCTV systems, medical facilities, and mental health care and counselling for students.

Dave recommended that all states be included as parties in the matter and referred to existing legislation governing coaching institutes in seven states.

Call for Permanent Oversight

When discussing the need for oversight, the bench, consisting of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, emphasised that such measures should be permanent. "It can't be that an unfortunate incident occurs and then suddenly one becomes aware of everything," the bench remarked, underscoring the importance of proactive measures.

The court directed the respondent authorities to provide suggestions to the amicus regarding a comprehensive policy for coaching institutes, initially focusing on the National Capital Region (NCR). The case will be revisited in two weeks.

Previous Court Directives

In a prior hearing on September 20, the Supreme Court directed a committee appointed by the Union government to investigate the deaths to submit an interim report outlining measures to prevent future incidents. The court also instructed the Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi governments to inform it of the policy and legislative changes implemented to avert similar occurrences.

The Supreme Court asserted that uniform initiatives should be established across the NCR to prevent incidents akin to the tragedy in Old Rajinder Nagar.

Wider Implications

The apex court plans to examine the issue at a pan-India level, ensuring that similar incidents do not transpire elsewhere. On August 5, it noted that coaching centres had become "death chambers" that jeopardise students' lives. The court took cognisance of the matter in response to a petition filed by a coaching centres' association challenging a December 2023 Delhi High Court order that mandated inspections of all coaching centres for compliance with fire safety regulations.

In another significant development, the Delhi High Court transferred the investigation into the students' deaths from Delhi Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to ensure public confidence in the inquiry. PTI