NEW DELHI: The drowning of three civil aspirants in the flooded basement of a coaching institute’s building in Old Rajinder Nagar has once again put the spotlight on the plights of students coming to Delhi to prepare for competitive examinations. Ifrah Mufti speaks to Varun Choudhary (VC), NSUI, Sadique Raza (SR), leader of CYSS and Harsh Attri (HA), ABVP state president over the issue. Excerpts
What problems are faced by UPSC aspirants from other states living in Delhi?
VC: Those, especially from poor and middle-class backgrounds, face the heat of high costs of living and education. Coaching fees range from 2-3 lakhs per year. Despite spending so much, these institutes have libraries in the basement and classrooms without fire exits. PGs charge 10k to 20k for tiny rooms.
SR: Students coming to Delhi from distant areas often face financial difficulties. They have to deal with arbitrary fees charged by coaching institutes and the high accommodation cost. This problem is not limited to UPSC aspirants but affects all students from economically weaker sections of society. i
HA:High room rents, with the rent not matching the quality of flats
Are you aware of the pitiable conditions of aspirants’ accomodations?
VC: Yes. The aspirants pay hefty amounts for store-like rooms. Coaching centres grew manifold in last decade, but residential capacity remained stagnant, reducing room size.
SR: One of the most fundamental issues is finding rooms and flats. Charging arbitrary rent and prejudice over caste or religion —especially against Dalits and Muslims—while subletting is becoming common in the capital. Students are charged Rs 4,000- Rs 6,000 for a storeroom-type room, lacking even basic amenities like windows.
HA: Yes, we have been agitating against the high rent and poor facilities for a long time.
How will government take up this issue?
VC: Three measures are needed. First is safety—fire safety, municipal regulations, and building approvals should be in place. Second is legislation to regulate coaching centers and their fees, ensuring fair practices and preventing exploitation. The last is building government-funded hostels with adequate amenities at minimal rent.
SR: Essential facilities that should be provided through legislation include regulating room and flat rents, providing free bus and metro passes, setting up a government fund for student emergencies, setting up student helpline and introducing a coaching act to check the arbitrary fees and policies of coaching institutes.
HA: The government must first battle the corruption in MCD, as it takes no action against illegal buildings and even allows unauthorised construction. The corruption in MCD is the key factor behind this tragic incident. They must also carry out periodic safety audits of all the buildings.
Did you raised the issue before this incident?
VC: Yes, multiple times. In May 2024, we visited Mukherjee Nagar and Gandhi Vihar and met students. We demanded a plan to ensure livable conditions for UPSC aspirants.
SR: Recently, I came across an incident in Sangam Vihar where a local resident was harassing, misbehaving, and even physically assaulting UPSC candidates. We took this matter to the ACP and the DCP office and succeeded in getting justice for the affected students. We have handled many such cases, fighting against landlord’s arbitrariness and harassment.
HA: Yes, we were among the first responders to the Mukherjee Nagar fire tragedy. We protested against it, which led to the sealing of illegal buildings and the libraries of coaching centres.
Is compensation adequate?
VC: Compensating these students at a level equivalent to the death of a working IAS Officer would acknowledge their dignity and respect.
SR: Immediate action should be taken against the officials involved. The MCD commissioner, L-G, and Chief Secretary must be held accountable.
HA: Only by carrying out complete justice in the matter can they be solaced.