PATNA: The Patna district administration announced on Sunday that any coaching centre operating from the basement of a building will be immediately sealed. This decision follows an inspection drive initiated by Patna District Magistrate (DM) Chandrashekhar Singh after the tragic death of three civil servant aspirants in an institute in Delhi. As of now, no coaching centres in Patna have been found operating from basements.
“Officials of the district administration have been given clear instructions to immediately seal those coaching institutes which are running from the basement. This is simply a violation of the existing norms of running a coaching institute. However, so far district officials, who are conducting the inspection of coaching centres, have not found even a single institute in the state capital which is running from the basement,” said DM Chandrashekhar Singh to PTI on Sunday.
The district administration has provided coaching institutes with a one-month period to comply fully with the regulations, including obtaining the mandatory registrations required to operate in the district. DM Singh emphasized that strict action will be taken against those who fail to comply with these provisions after the given deadline.
“The district administration has so far (in the last six days) received applications from around 1,100 coaching centres in Patna for registration/renewal. Their applications are under process. The district administration has also decided to launch an online system of ‘Single Window Clearance’ for all mandatory clearances/permissions to coaching institutes in the district… a portal will be launched for the purpose within a few days,” stated the DM.
An ongoing inspection of coaching centres by district officials has revealed that many of these institutions are overcrowded and situated in densely populated areas. The administration has mandated that there must be a minimum allocation of one square meter per student during classes to ensure adequate space.
“The owners of coaching institutes have also been asked to ensure that one entry and one exit point must be there in each classroom, specified under the existing provisions. We are concerned about the safety and security of students… we don’t want to create any panic among the coaching centres in the district. Steps that are being taken are preventive measures,” the DM added.
He further emphasized the importance of sufficient infrastructure proportionate to the number of students enrolled, as overcrowding could pose significant safety risks.
Patna, recognized as ‘Bihar’s coaching hub,’ attracts students from across the state aspiring to succeed in engineering, medical, and civil service examinations. The district administration’s stringent measures aim to protect the safety and welfare of these students while maintaining a standard of compliance in the operation of coaching centres.