UPSC aspirants and coaching centres in Mukherjee Nagar and Rajinder Nagar are facing significant uncertainty as classes remain suspended following the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) sealing drive against establishments operating illegally from basements.
Impact on Coaching Centres
The suspension of operations has particularly affected new batches of UPSC aspirants, with classes slated to start in the first week of August likely to be delayed. Most coaching institutes in these areas have shut down, fearing further crackdowns by the MCD. This has left students worried about their preparation for the approaching exams.
Amit, a student of Vision IAS, expressed his concerns to PTI, saying, “After the incident in Rajinder Nagar, my coaching classes are shut completely. There is uncertainty about what will happen and when our classes will resume as my Mains exams are approaching.” Another aspirant, Aarti, added, “Most of the institutes are completely closed here. They are neither taking offline nor online classes as of now. We have no clarity on when our classes will resume.”
Cause of the Sealing Drive
The drive was intensified following a tragic incident in Rajinder Nagar where three UPSC students died due to basement flooding. The MCD continued its sealing drive to shut down institutes operating illegally from basements in other areas. According to MCD building bye-laws, basements can only be used for parking or storage purposes, not for commercial activities.
Reactions and Plans of Students
The uncertainty has led many outstation students to consider returning home to save on rent while classes are suspended. Some students have demanded the provision of online classes to avoid disruption in their studies.
Kuldeep, a UPSC aspirant from Deoghar in Jharkhand, stated, “Since the incident, no classes have been held and no information is being provided regarding the classes. I am planning to go home as I don’t think classes will resume in offline mode anytime soon. If they take classes online, I can do that from home.”
Another student from Rajasthan, who had paid a substantial amount for coaching fees, said, “I came here to fulfil my dream of becoming an IAS officer. My parents somehow arranged the fees. Since the classes are suspended now, I don’t know what to do. Institutes should at least start online classes so that we can study.”
Responses from Coaching Centres
PTI approached several coaching centres in Mukherjee Nagar and Rajinder Nagar for information on when classes would resume and if alternative online arrangements were being made.
A representative from Drishti IAS, whose basement has been sealed, mentioned that their new batch scheduled to start on August 9 would be delayed by 4-5 days. “At present, all the institutes here have stopped their classes because of the sealing. We cannot confirm when we will resume classes. Our new batch starting August 9 will be delayed. As soon as the situation improves, we will restart our operations.”
A representative from Sanskriti IAS in Mukherjee Nagar said that classes are likely to resume from Wednesday.
Ongoing Sealing Drive
The MCD has expanded its sealing drive to other areas with coaching centres, including east Delhi’s Preet Vihar. Since Sunday, 20 basements in Mukherjee Nagar and Rajinder Nagar have been sealed for misuse. The drive will continue in additional areas.
Tragic Incident
The sealing drive was intensified after three civil services aspirants died when water from a flooded drain gushed into the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, where a library was set up. The deceased were identified as Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Navin Dalwin from Kerala.
The uncertainty surrounding the closure of coaching centres has left many aspirants in a difficult position as they prepare for their upcoming exams. Students and coaching centres alike are hoping for a swift resolution to resume their preparations.
