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UPSC aspirants protested outside Drishti IAS Institute in Rajinder Nagar, Delhi. (Photo: @AddarshK/X)
The renowned college, run by educationist and YouTuber Vikas Divyakirti, was one of the six colleges whose basements were sealed by the MCD after the tragic death of three IAS students in Old Rajinder Nagar
Amid the MCD's crackdown, hundreds of UPSC applicants staged a massive protest outside Drishti IAS in Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar after the school's basement was cordoned off as part of a drive against “illegal” courses being offered at the training centre.
The renowned institute, run by educationist and YouTuber Vikas Divyakirti, was one of the six institutes where the civic body sealed the basement following the tragic death of three IAS students in Old Rajinder Nagar. Videos of the protest went viral and were shared by social media users. In the video, students can be heard chanting “We want justice.”
Five more coaching centers in the old Rajinder Nagar area were sealed after the civic body found that the basements were being used as libraries or to hold classes. With a total of 20 agencies facing action since the July 27 flood incident, three IAS aspirants – Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana and Nevin Delvin from Kerala – IAS in Rau Drowned in the basement of the research circle.
MCD cracks down on reputed institutions
Apart from Drishti IAS in Mukherjee Nagar, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has also sealed the basement of other reputed coaching centers like Vaji Ram and Ravi IAS Center and SriRam IAS Academy in Rajinder Nagar. On this occasion, the civic body has launched a three-pronged action in the wake of the basement tragedy in old Rajinder Nagar.
According to officials, three basements of the Vaji Ram and Ravi IAS center buildings have been sealed. “As far as I know, the basement of the local mall Vardhman Mall in Nehru Vihar (basement of towers 1, 2 and 3 combined) is being used as a coaching centre, teaching centre, institution in name and by name. Style Dristi (The Vision), the owner and occupier violated clause 15.9 of MPD-2021,” reads a notice posted at the entrance of a coaching center in Mukherjee Nagar.
Similar notices have been put up at the basement entrances of the two coaching centers that have been sealed by the civic body. The MCD is sealing basements operating illegally and demolishing illegal structures blocking stormwater drains. As part of the anti-encroachment drive, it demolished the platforms and ramps of the external coaching center at Old Rajinder Nagar.
Municipal Commissioner Ashwani Kumar said the lockdown will also be carried out against establishments in other parts of the city where basements are being used illegally for commercial activities.
“As of Sunday (July 28), we initiated operations in the basements of 13 coaching institutes operating in Rajinder Nagar. On Monday (July 29), we resumed the lockdown operation and sealed the premises of such institutes in the same area. 6 more basements. MCD also conducted an anti-encroachment operation to demolish buildings covering stormwater drains. Additionally, the basement of a training institute in Mukherjee Nagar was sealed and we also conducted a cordoning operation there.
(With PTI input)
