After the Rau’s IAS Centre tragedy, UPSC aspirants find themselves in a new plight: Exorbitant library charges – Times of India

Following the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) recent crackdown on coaching centers operating from basements, privately-owned licensed libraries in Old Rajinder Nagar and its neighboring areas such as Patel Nagar—where many coaching institutes are located—have reportedly increased their membership fees. This hike is making it even more difficult for UPSC aspirants, who are already spending significant amounts on their coaching classes.
Reports indicate that many civil service aspirants believe the recent fee increases at private libraries are a direct result of the MCD’s actions against coaching centers. According to PTI, Pankaj, a UPSC aspirant, stated, “Previously, library owners on the first or second floors charged Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per month, but now, after the closure of many libraries, they have doubled their fees, knowing that students have no other option.” He further noted that students preparing for the UPSC mains exam now have nowhere to study because their living rooms are too small.
Another student reported that those using libraries in nearby areas like Patel Nagar are now being charged between Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000, more than double the previous fees.

Rau’s IAS Study Centre tragedy: List of training centres sealed so far

Last Saturday, three students—Shreya Yadav from Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Navin Dalwin from Ernakulam in Kerala—tragically lost their lives when the basement of Rau IAS Study Centre in Old Rajinder Nagar (ORN) flooded suddenly. In response, the MCD sealed the basements of 13 coaching centers in the area on Sunday. During inspections, the MCD discovered that these institutes were violating regulations and subsequently sealed their basements.
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has directed MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar to take strict action against those running commercial activities in basements. The following coaching institutes had their basements sealed so far:

UPSC aspirants up in protest

In response to the situation, civil service aspirants have begun an indefinite hunger strike, demanding action and compensation of Rs 5 crore for the victims’ families. The protest, now in its third day, has seen participation from over 400 students amid significant police presence. ANI has quoted a female student participating in the hunger strike saying, “We initially hoped that the administration, the UPSC coaching lobby, and the authorities would listen to us. But after four days, we realize this protest is going nowhere.”

On Monday evening, the students held a candlelight vigil near the institute. While some of them sat with their phone’s flashlight, others sat with a candle blaming the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for negligence, as per PTI.
A student told PTI that the trouble of waterlogging is persistent during the monsoon. The news agency has quoted him saying, “The MCD is the biggest culprit. Whenever it rains, the streets are waterlogged and you risk falling into an open manhole or getting an electric shock and dying. Anything can happen.”

Coaching Institute Regulations

On Wednesday, in a press conference, the Delhi Education Minister Atishi announced that the state government will introduce legislation to regulate coaching centres in response to the recent tragedy.
Notably, in January this year, the Ministry of Education released specific instructions for the functioning of coaching centres across the country. The Department of Higher Education issued the ‘Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Center 2024’. The released guidelines are aimed at establishing coaching centres to enhance student supervision and support for study programmes, competitive exams, and academics.
Talking about several points, the guidelines also highlighted the importance of basic infrastructure. It states that the coaching centres are obligated to allocate a minimum of one square per meter student in each class. They should comply with fire safety and should obtain the Fire and Building Safety Certificates. The institute should have adequate electrification, ventilation, lightning, and security measures. And should also be equipped with CCTV cameras, first aid kits and medical assistance.