Drishti IAS owner comments on Delhi coaching centers crackdown: ‘Everyone is seeking a scapegoat’

PTC News Desk: Renowned educator and Drishti IAS owner Vikas Divyakirit spoke out on Tuesday on the recent murders of three civil services candidates at a tutoring center in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar neighbourhood, stating that the problem of student safety is ‘more complicated than it appears’.

A day after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) sealed the basements of multiple coaching centers, including one run by Drishti IAS, for allegedly breaking safety regulations, Divyakirti, a well-known figure in the UPSC community, released a statement.

#WATCH | Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar Coaching Centre incident | On being asked why is he being targetted, Dr. Vikas Divyakirti, founder and MD of Drishti IAS says “I am getting targetted because in such cases, everyone wants a scapegoat. It makes things easier for the… pic.twitter.com/PmoKiLSqPW

— ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2024

Divyakirti expressed his sympathies to the families of Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni, and Nevin Dalwin, the three victims of the basement tragedy, in a social media message shared by Drishti IAS on its official X handle.

“We offer our sincere sympathies for the three students’ tragic and premature deaths. We humbly honour the three candidates and ask God to grant their families the strength to deal with this unforgivable loss,” the message stated.

Divyakirti also stated that the student outrage was entirely justified and demanded that efforts be directed appropriately and that full regulations for coaching centers be put into place.

“Students’ rage is entirely justified. It would be beneficial if the government established regulations for coaching centers and this rage was directed in the proper directions. In this regard, we are prepared to support the government,” he declared.

Additionally, Divyakirti made the point that the issue with coaching centers is more complicated than it first seems. “This coaching institute dilemma is more complicated than it first seems. Its numerous facets are connected to the vagueness and inconsistency of the legal system,” Divyakirti noted.

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The instructor also drew attention to a number of anomalies and contradictions in the rules issued by the Delhi Fire Department, the MCD, and the DDA, among other organisations.

“The only document that mentions coaching establishments is the Delhi Master Plan-2021. No explicit instructions have been provided. It is hoped that most of the problems raised above would be addressed in the report that the Union Home Ministry-appointed committee submits in a month,” he stated.

Divyakirti emphasised that Drishti IAS employs a Fire and Safety Officer and regularly conducts safety assessments of the coaching centers, demonstrating their dedication to student safety.

“At the moment, our management has a particular position called “Fire and Safety Officer,” held by an officer with 14 years of experience working in large hospitals and shopping centers and a graduate of National Fire Service College (Nagpur). Furthermore, an officer is posted at every building to monitor the security of sixteen buildings every day,” he claimed.

The teacher also praised the Delhi Municipal Corporation’s recent spate of considerable action and said that Drishti IAS would shortly release a thorough review of the situation.

“The government should choose three or four Delhi neighbourhoods and designate them as coaching institutes as a long-term solution to this issue. There won’t be a problem with excessive rent or security if the government sets up the classrooms, libraries, and hostels,” he stated.

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Later, Vikas Divyakirti claimed he was being targeted because everyone looks for a scapegoat in situations like this in an interview with news outlet ANI. “It makes things easier for the administration, they think they are safe, let that one person suffer, and even the society feels that they have got the accused,” added the teacher.

Vikas Divyakirti explained his nature as the reason for the delay in responding to the occurrence when questioned about it. “I don’t talk about emotional problems all that much. Three students died horribly. For the past three days, whenever I go to sleep or we have a conversation at home, I can’t help but think about what those kids must have gone through when the water inside filled up,” he said.

The proprietor of Drishti IAS further stated that he met Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena alongside a few other institute owners and students. Today, I got to know a few students. I met with the LG of Delhi. Along with the owners of several institutes, there were some students present during the conference.

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