In the wake of the recent deaths of three civil service aspirants at a Delhi coaching institute, the Patna district administration has raised urgent concerns about overcrowding at local coaching centres and has set a one-month deadline for them to meet regulatory standards.
District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh on Wednesday said inspections revealed that most coaching centres in the city are overcrowded and located in congested areas.
He, however, refuted media reports suggesting that some institutes, including the prominent Khan Sir coaching centre, had been sealed or issued notices.
The district administration has instructed coaching centre owners to ensure that each student is allocated a minimum of one square metre of space during classes or batches. Additionally, there must be adequate infrastructure in proportion to the number of enrolled students.
“The ongoing inspection of coaching institutes by the district officials has revealed that the majority of them are over-crowded and are running in crowded areas. This issue was discussed with association members of the owners of coaching centres in Patna. They have been asked to ensure the allocation of a minimum of one square metre for each student during a class/batch, the SM told PTI.
The administration has mandated that coaching centres adhere to building bylaws, fire safety regulations, and other standards, including having proper entry and exit points in each classroom.
Owners have been directed to obtain mandatory registration for operating coaching centres within a month. Failure to comply with these provisions will result in strict action.
“The association members have been asked to ensure that the building in which coaching centres are running should strictly abide by building bylaws. Besides, the building should adhere to fire safety guidelines, and other standards, including one entry and one exit point in each classroom. Strict action will be taken against those centres which fail to comply with the existing provisions after a month,” the DM said.
The district administration has also proposed the development of a dedicated coaching village or city with modern facilities on the outskirts of Patna. This proposal will be pursued with the competent authorities.
Some coaching centre owners have requested that they be granted industry status; however, Singh clarified that such decisions are the purview of government policy-makers.
Singh addressed rumours about Khan Sir coaching institutes being locked, stating that no orders had been issued to that effect.
A branch of Khan Sir’s institute on Boring Road in Patna was reported to be locked on Wednesday, but Singh emphasised that this was not due to any administrative directive. Khan Sir could not be reached for comment.
Earlier in the day, Additional Chief Secretary (Education) S. Siddharth instructed district magistrates across the state to ensure that coaching centres comply with existing regulations and provide facilities that meet prescribed standards.
Three civil services aspirants died after the basement of a building housing a coaching centre was flooded following heavy rain in central Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar area on July 27.
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