Rajinder Nagar, known as a hub for coaching centres and paying guest accommodations, attracts students from far and wide with hopes of cracking UPSC entrance examinations.
However, on July 27, a tragic incident occurred at Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar, bringing to light the grave infrastructural issues faced by students.
After heavy rain, the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, which was illegally operating as a library, flooded. Thirty students, trapped by the rising, dirty water, climbed onto tables and chairs in a desperate attempt to stay above the water. Despite their efforts, three civil services aspirants—Tanya Soni, 21, from Telangana; Nevin Delvin, 28, from Kerala; and Shreya Yadav, 25, from Uttar Pradesh—drowned.
The Met department’s PUSA weather station, closest to Old Rajinder Nagar, reported 31.5 mm of rain between 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm on that fateful Saturday. According to eyewitnesses, the basement filled with 10-12 feet of water almost instantly, leaving students with no chance to escape. This incident highlighted severe infrastructural issues, inadequate safety measures, illegal constructions, and poor drainage systems that put lives at risk.
Nearly a month before the tragedy at Rau’s IAS Study Circle, a student of the institute had filed a complaint on June 26 on a public grievance portal of the Administrative Reforms Department, stating that classes were being run in the basement without obtaining a no-objection certificate from the concerned authorities.
In June of the previous year, more than 60 people were injured in a fire that broke out at a coaching centre in Mukherjee Nagar, another such hub. The Delhi Master Plan 2021 mandates that basements in coaching centres must have fire and statutory clearances. However, an investigation revealed that Rau’s IAS Study Circle was misusing its basement for commercial purposes instead of the designated parking or storage.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) found that the institute had blocked the drainage system by constructing extensions and ramps, which caused the basement to flood during heavy rains. On the day of the incident, an FIR was filed under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which recently replaced the Indian Penal Code. The charges included culpable homicide and death by negligent act, among others.
The tragedy sparked widespread protests, with students demanding accountability and transparency. They called for the release of CCTV footage from Rau’s library to shed light on the events leading up to the disaster. However, protesting students argue that compensation is a diversion from the core issues of safety and regulatory compliance.
Students demanded justice, better safety measures, and accountability from the authorities. The Delhi High Court took cognizance of the matter, ordering an investigation into the violations. The court questioned the Delhi police on the absence of any arrests among MCD officials and mandated the presence of the MCD Commissioner in court on Friday.
As the investigation continues, the families of the victims and the student community await justice and the implementation of stricter safety regulations to prevent such a tragedy from recurring.
Read more: Dreams and despair in Delhi’s UPSC hub
Reporting: Samridhi Tewari
Video and production: Vishnoo Jotshi
