NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday directed states to respond to a set of draft model rules aimed at improving the infrastructure of coaching centres, developed in the wake of a tragic incident in Delhi where three civil services aspirants drowned during heavy rains at a coaching centre.
The draft rules, framed at the insistence of the Supreme Court, include safety measures such as the installation of fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, automatic sprinkler systems, and flood prevention mechanisms, including elevating the floor levels of coaching centres. Other provisions focus on student welfare, such as employing full-time counsellors, setting up helplines to address student concerns, creating grievance redressal cells, and establishing Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) to handle complaints of sexual harassment. The rules also call for medical facilities, proper lighting, ventilation, safe drinking water, CCTV surveillance, and separate toilets for men, women, and transgender individuals.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan heard the matter and sought responses from state governments on these measures. Amicus curiae Sidharth Dave, who crafted the model rules, informed the court that the draft rules had been circulated to the states through their counsels for review.
