Delhi LG directs Chief Secretary to set up committee for creating conducive educational environment

New Delhi [India], July 31 : Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Wednesday directed the Chief Secretary of Delhi to head a committee comprising 5-6 representatives of coaching institutions, representatives of students and officials of concerned departments to address all issues related to regulation, exorbitant rental by landlords, fire clearances, desilting of drains and other immediate needs of the students to create a conducive educational environment.
In an unofficial note, the LG stated that the Committee shall prepare a long-term and short-term action plan for gradually shifting the coaching institutes from various locations to a well-planned area.
This came after the LG convened a meeting on July 30 with senior management of over 21 private coaching institutes, including their federation, senior officers of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), Vice-Chairman (VC) of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and representatives of students after the tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants who died due to flooding at a coaching institute on July 27.
The LG further stated that the Chief Secretary shall take up the matter of formulation of guidelines and regulatory framework for coaching institutions and tuition classes, in line with the guidelines framed by the central government.
The VC DDA would facilitate site visits for representatives of coaching institutions at identified locations in Narela and Rohini as the first step for establishing an education hub that would accommodate all coaching institutions, it stated.
The notice also mentioned that any coaching institute running a library or teaching facility in the basement would be sealed immediately and for short term measures, institutes would assist the students by providing them spaces for reading rooms.
The LG further mentioned that the federation of coaching institutes had agreed to offer a fair compensation to the families of the three deceased students and would also offer a discount in the fee in the current academic session to enrolled students who have suffered mental agony and disruption.
LG also directed that a portal with Aadhar based log-in credentials for all coaching institutes in the city to be established, creating a transparent database.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will further create a link on their portal to facilitate online applications for fire clearance coaching institutions facing challenges due to ambiguity.
LG also directed the Commissioner of Police to do an immediate crackdown on exorbitant rentals being charged in these areas and compulsory cash transactions for evasion of tax.
LG furthr mentuoned that he will will review the issue within a fortnight.