New Delhi: Several coaching centres don’t bother to follow the guidelines and building norms to run such institutes despite the Union Ministry of Education circulated guidelines for the Regulation of Coaching Centers to States and Union Territories earlier this year for the safety of students and faculty members.
Taking action against alleged norm violators, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has sealed 13 alleged illegal coaching centre basements in the Old Rajender Nagar area. The action by the MCD comes after three civil services aspirants died due to flooding at a coaching centre on July 27 in the Old Rajender Nagar area in the national capital.
Meanwhile, MCD officials said, "The corporation is taking strict action against properties violating building bylaws across all zones. The corporation will take strict action against basements in coaching centres running in violations and compromising the safety and security of students."
"Coaching has become a flourishing industry with high returns and the kind of advertisements. Every penny spent on advertisements is coming from the student. Every new building is coming from the student. So there is really a need for an approach that can go a long way in tackling it," Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said in the Upper House on Monday.
Minister of State for the Ministry of Education, Dr Sukanta Majumdar, asserted that his ministry has circulated guidelines for the regulation of coaching centres to states and Union Territories.
"Keeping in view the growth in the number of unregulated private coaching centres in the country in the absence of any laid down policy or regulation, instances of such centres charging exorbitant fees from students, undue stress on students resulting in students committing suicides and many other malpractices being adopted by these centres, Ministry of Education has circulated a Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Center to States/UTs in January this year for consideration by way of appropriate legal framework," Minister of State for Ministry of Education, Dr Sukanta Majumdar, said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
As per guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education in January month, infrastructure requirements are for the regulation of coaching centres in the backdrop of several issues related to the private coaching centres, including fire incidents and lack of facilities.
The institutes have to follow infrastructure requirements, including the coaching centre building will adhere to fire safety codes, building safety codes and other standards and will obtain a Fire and Building Safety Certificate from the appropriate authorities as decided by the appropriate government.
Within the basic structure of the centre, a minimum of one square meter area may be allocated for each student during a class or batch and there will be sufficient infrastructure in proportion to the number of students enrolled. The proper electrification, well ventilation, and sufficient lighting arrangements will be in place in each classroom of the institute building and the Center will be suitably fitted with CCTV cameras for security purposes, it mentions.
"For the assistance of the students, the coaching centre shall have a first aid kit and medical assistance/treatment facility. A list of referral services like hospitals, doctors for emergency services, police helpline details, fire service helpline and women's helpline shall be displayed and the students shall be informed about them. A complaint box or register may be placed at the coaching centre for the students to raise a complaint. The coaching centre shall have a committee for redressal of complaints/grievances of students,” the guidelines stated.
