September 20, 2024: In a significant move following the tragic deaths of three IAS aspirants in a coaching centre basement in Old Rajendra Nagar, the Supreme Court of India has ordered the Union government to form a high-level committee. This committee is tasked with submitting interim safety measures within four weeks to enhance student safety in coaching institutions.

The directive came from a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, who emphasized the urgent need for proactive safety protocols in light of the July incident that raised alarms about the conditions in these educational facilities. The court further mandated that the governments of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi provide updates on any policy, legislative, or administrative changes made to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Highlighting the critical need for uniform safety measures across the National Capital Region (NCR), the bench stated that without consistent initiatives, the risk of similar incidents remains alarmingly high. On August 5, the Supreme Court had already voiced serious concerns over the safety of students in coaching centres, describing them as rapidly transforming into “death chambers.”