A UPSC aspirant expressed frustration, saying they “literally pay to risk their lives” after three students died in a flooded basement of a well-known coaching center in Old Rajinder Nagar.
Students protested in front of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, showing their anger not just against the authorities but also the centers. Vishal Mittal, a student at Vision IAS, highlighted the overcrowded conditions, stating that while it is said that 100 students in a room is too much, at times, there are 300-400 students packed into a single room, as reported by the Indian Express.
Ramji Awasthi, another Vision IAS student who took the exam this year, claimed that almost every coaching center and library operates in the basement. He recounted a recent incident where a woman sustained an electric shock in a library due to water entering the basement after a little rain, although it was fortunately minor. Such incidents, he alleged, are a regular occurrence.
On Saturday evening, the basement of Rau’s academy flooded when a drain burst during heavy rain, trapping the victims. The bodies of Navin Dalwin from Kerala, Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh’s Ambedkar Nagar, and Tanya Soni from Telangana were later recovered.
A student from Sarthi IAS shared that his friend was among those rescued from Rau’s during the incident. Approximately 20 people were in the library at the time, and some students had decided to step out for a walk, asking his friend, Prabhakar, to join them, but he chose to stay and study. Tanya, who was also his friend, was planning to leave after some time, Indian Express reported.
Recounting the incident as narrated by his friend, the student said that water started entering the basement around 7:30 pm. Security guards immediately cut off the electricity, and the police were the first to arrive. A head constable entered the basement and saved 4-5 people, including Prabhakar. Over an hour later, two bodies were taken out.
Students claimed that efforts to get authorities to address the problems in the Central Delhi coaching hub have been unsuccessful. They pointed out that they are charged Rs 3,000-Rs 5,000 to sit in these libraries and have complained numerous times without any action being taken. No one from Rau’s has come forward to talk to them.
The protesters also raised slogans against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, who had come to the spot. Vishal Sherawat from Jaipur stated that there are no leaders in their protest, emphasizing that they are uniting the voice of all aspirants.