UPSC Aspirants' Deaths : Supreme Court Initiates Suo Motu Case On Safety Compliances Of Delhi Coaching Centres

The Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan issued notice to the Union Ministry of Urban Affairs as well as the Delhi Government.

The development took place while the bench was hearing a petition filed by petitioner Coaching Centre Federation against the Delhi High Court order, passed in December 2023, wherein it issued a slew of measures effectively to regulate the exercise of inspection of all coaching centres. 

The bench expressed dismay at the unfortunate incidents” claiming the lives of young individuals who joined coaching to pursue their careers.   

Even though it dismissed the petition with a cost of Rs. 1 Lakh, the Court decided to take suo moto cognizance of the larger issue. The Bench, while issuing notice, asked the Union Government and the Delhi Government to demonstrate the safety norms prescribed and the effective mechanism introduced so far for its compliance.

The Court also said that this cost will be deposited with the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association and the Supreme Court Bar Association, with Rs 50,000 to each of these bodies. 

Recently, the Delhi High Court directed the Delhi Government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi to close down the coaching centres operating in the national capital without a no objection certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department.

The High Court has also ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the deaths of three civil services aspirants due to drowning in a IAS coaching centre basement in Rajendra Nagar.

Case Details: COACHING FEDERATION OF INDIA  Versus GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS., Diary No. 30149-2024

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