The Supreme Court of India is poised to deliberate on a deeply troubling incident—the drowning of three civil service aspirants at Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar. Scheduled for a hearing on Monday, the case stems from a tragic event on July 27, when unexpected heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding in the basement library led to the deaths of Shreya Yadav (25), Tanya Soni (25), and Nevin Delvin (24).
This incident has not only cast a shadow over the coaching industry but has also prompted a nationwide discussion on the safety standards of such institutes, particularly in the National Capital Region (NCR). The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, is expected to examine the broader implications of the tragedy, focusing on mandatory safety upgrades to prevent future occurrences.
In response to this catastrophe, the Supreme Court has previously directed a government-appointed committee to draft an interim report suggesting robust preventive strategies. This initiative extends beyond addressing individual incidents, urging governments in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi to adopt comprehensive policy, legislative, and administrative reforms.
Furthering its proactive approach, the Supreme Court criticized the safety measures in place at coaching centers, labeling them as potential “death chambers” during a prior session. This critique followed the court’s examination of a petition from a coaching center association, which challenged a Delhi High Court decree mandating inspections by fire services and civic bodies to ensure adherence to fire safety norms.
In an important development, the Delhi High Court reassigned the investigation of the students’ deaths from Delhi Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This move aims to uphold the investigation’s credibility and transparency, eliminating any public skepticism about its integrity.
