Rau's IAS Coaching Center Tragedy: Forced to Live Like Insects- UPSC Student Writes to CJI

New Delhi: In a tragic incident, three students lost their lives due to drowning in the flooded basement of Rau's IAS Coaching Center in Old Rajinder Nagar, Delhi. Following this, a UPSC aspirant named Avinash Dubey has approached the Supreme Court, urging it to intervene promptly.

Dubey's letter to the court highlighted the dire living conditions faced by students in areas like Old Rajinder Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar, attributing their plight to severe mismanagement. "Students here are living like insects, enduring hellish conditions," he wrote, stressing the urgent need for action against those responsible for the deaths of the three students and protection of their constitutional rights.

He urged the Supreme Court to direct the concerned authorities to address the chronic waterlogging issues in these student-dense areas. Dubey described how clogged drains result in rainwater flooding homes, forcing students to wade through knee-deep water. He criticized the Delhi government and MCD for neglecting these issues, stating that students are being forced to live in inhumane conditions. "It is our fundamental right to study and live in a healthy environment, but unfortunately, the Delhi government and MCD have failed to address these problems," Dubey lamented.

The incident occurred on Saturday when heavy rain caused significant flooding on the streets, which then seeped into the basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle Institute. The three students who tragically drowned were identified as Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Nevin Dalvin from Kerala.

Incident Details

Preliminary investigations revealed that the heavy rainfall on Saturday led to severe street flooding. Due to the lack of an adequate drainage system, this water accumulated in the coaching center's basement. Several videos circulating on social media show students struggling to escape the rising water. One video captured the main entry gate of the coaching center collapsing under the heavy rain, which caused water to flood into the basement.

It has been reported that there was only one entrance and exit for the basement, which added to the students' difficulties. Some students alleged that the biometric entry-exit system malfunctioned, trapping them inside the basement.

The case has raised significant concerns about the infrastructure and safety measures in educational institutions in Delhi, especially those located in areas prone to flooding. Dubey’s plea to the Supreme Court calls for immediate intervention to prevent such tragedies in the future and ensure that students can live and study in safe and humane conditions.