New Delhi:

The government issued guidelines on the regulation of coaching centers in January this year, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed Lok Sabha on Monday, even as he evaded a direct reply to a question on the death of three IAS aspirants in Delhi due to flooding.  

During the Question Hour, Congress MP KC Venugopal mentioned the death of the three students and said the institute had no approved building.  

“Without an approved building, without any facility, some of the coaching centers become mafia… is the government going to take any action?” he said.  Mr Venugopal also raised concerns about students’ suicides.

Quoting information provided by the ministry in an earlier written reply, he said that between 2018-2022, around 80 students committed suicide in top-ranking institutions like IITs and IIMs, adding that caste discrimination is a major reason behind it.  In his response, Mr Pradhan said, “The member has raised a question which is not related to the question put today.”

“But I like to assure the House through you, this government is committed to total socio-psychological and mental protection of all students, whether they are studying in a coaching center, in an institution, school education or higher education,” he said.  

He said exhaustive and detailed guidelines on coaching centers were issued to all states in January, 2024.

“Some states also have regulations, like Rajasthan, Bihar, Goa. They have their own regulations to look into the matter,” he said.  

“Regarding the protection, this is a socio-psychological issue. We all have to take care. This is not an issue to be dealt with through only allegations and answers,” he said.

Three civil services aspirants died on Saturday after the basement of a building housing a coaching centre in central Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar area was flooded following heavy rains.

In his reply to another question, Mr Pradhan dismissed that India was witnessing “brain-drain” with students going abroad for higher education. The students who go outside have made the country proud, he said.

TMC MP Saugata Roy asked if the number of students going abroad is increasing. He said good quality higher education not being available in India was the reason behind the “brain-drain”.  

The education minister asserted the intelligence of Indian students should not be criticised for political reasons, and also said there is no dearth of high quality education institutions in the country.  

He named Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen, and IBM CEO Arvind Krishna among those who came out of the Indian education system. India is proud of them, he said.

“Go to any economic hotspot, Indians are thriving there… We grow due to this connectivity. The globe is shrinking into a village. Depriving our next generation of the good standards of the world is wrong,” he said.  Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, however, said that the top institutions named by the minister are like just a “few islands of excellence in a vast ocean of mediocrity”, and improvement is required.  

Mr Pradhan in reply said he is open to suggestions, and added that the government is stressing on quality education, and there are ranking systems to evaluate it.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The death of three civil service aspirants at a Delhi coaching centre has sent a shockwave across the city, especially within the student community. One such student, has reached out to the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, seeking immediate action into those responsible for the death of 3 UPSC aspirants in Rajinder Nagar after the basement of their coaching centre was flooded.

Avinash Dubey, a UPSC aspirant himself, has written a letter to the CJI demanding action against city officials and others responsible for the deaths. He also requested DY Chandrachud to direct the Delhi government and civic body MCD to take appropriate steps to tackle the waterlogging issue.

Here is the full text of the letter Avinash Dubey wrote to CJI DY Chandrachud over the three deaths at a Delhi coaching centre:

Respected Chief Justice Supreme Court of India

Subject – To protect our fundamental rights

Sir, I am Avinash Dubey who is staying in Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar and preparing for civil services. Yesterday, on 27 July 2024, 3 of our student mates who were preparing for Civil Services in a coaching institute in Old Rajendra Nagar lost their lives in an unfortunate manner without any fault of theirs. It has come to light that some students were taking coaching in the basement of a coaching institute. Due to rain, the basement was flooded and the 3 students lost their lives after getting trapped there. Sir, areas like Mukherjee Nagar, Old Rajendra Nagar of Delhi have been facing the problem of waterlogging every year due to the apathy of the municipality here. Due to lack of cleanliness, the drain water reaches the main road and sometimes even enters houses. We have to walk through knee-deep drain water. Sir, due to the indifference of the municipality and the Delhi government, today students like us are living a hell-like life for our preparation. Students like us are moving towards our goals by whatever means we can. But, yesterday’s incident has proved that the lives of students are not safe. Delhi government and municipality have made us helpless just like insects. Sir, it is our fundamental right to study while living a healthy life, unfortunately the Delhi government and municipality are completely indifferent to it due to which the lives of students like us are in danger. The above incident is extremely heartbreaking and worrying. Due to waterlogging, there is a serious threat to the safety and health of the students studying in the centre. In such a situation, there is a need for students to get a safe and healthy environment, so that they can continue their studies without any fear and can contribute to the progress of the country in the near future. Keeping in mind the interests of the students, it is necessary that the concerned authorities take immediate effective steps and provide a permanent solution to the problem of waterlogging. Apart from this, there is also a need to strengthen emergency services and security measures at the coaching centre. Proper evacuation routes, first aid facilities and regular sanitation arrangements should be ensured for the students. Keeping in mind the concerns of parents and guardians of students, coaching centers should get regular structural inspections done and be prepared to deal with problems like waterlogging. The future and lives of students are extremely valuable, and keeping them safe from such incidents should be our priority. Therefore, you are respectfully requested to protect the lives and fundamental rights of students like us and please order appropriate action against those responsible for the death of our 3 student brothers.

New Delhi:

A 30-year-old female graphic designer and a henchman, who she had hired to burn the face of her ex-boyfriend, have been arrested in outer Delhi’s Nihal Vihar area, an officer said on Monday.

The woman wanted to take revenge from her ex-boyfriend and colleague for jilting her and getting engaged to someone else, the officer said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Jimmy Chiram said Omkar, 24, who is also a graphic designer, was attacked by three people in Ranhola area on June 19.

The three came on a motorcycle and attacked him with a knife, cut him at several places, he said.

Police pulled the CCTV camera footage of the area and the call details of Omkar to zero in on the woman and the three attackers.

On June 23, based on a secret input, a trap was laid near Dwarka Mor and one of the suspects, Vikash, was arrested, Chiram said.

During interrogation, Vikash revealed that he, along with Harsh alias Bali and Rohan, had attacked Omkar with a knife.

He also disclosed the hideout of the woman at whose behest they carried out the attack.

The woman, whose name was withheld by police and lives near Tilak Nagar Metro Station, was held from Nihal Vihar, he said.

The woman revealed that she and Omkar both were colleagues and had been having an affair for the last three years.

She became infuriated when he became engaged to some other woman and hired the three men for Rs 30,000 to carry out an acid attack and also gave them a bottle filled with acid, police said.

The woman also alleged the victim threatened to upload her private pictures online when she objected to his engagement, the DCP said.

According to the plan, the men contracted were supposed to throw acid at Omkar’s face, but couldn’t and had to decamp after knifing him, he said.

A hunt is on for two other accused, he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Noida:

A Greater Noida resident has allegedly fallen victim to a cyber fraud that cost him Rs 20.54 lakh after he was lured into the scam through a text message offering a work-from-home job, which involved rating hotels on Google Maps for monetary rewards.

The police said they have registered an FIR against an unidentified accused and launched investigation into the case, which took place in January this year but reported to them only on Monday.

In his complaint to the police, Sandeep Kumar, who lives in Chi-1 sector of Greater Noida, said, “I received the text on his WhatsApp number that I can do a work-from-home job in which I need to rate hotels on Google Maps and I will receive money in return as rewards.” He was then added to a Telegram group with about 100 members, where he started performing the rating tasks. As he continued, the tasks soon included investment activities, according to the FIR.

“I started rating the hotels etc. With these tasks, there were some investment tasks too where I invested Rs 50,000 first, but I couldn’t withdraw the money from the website,” Sandeep Kumar said, adding that when attempted to withdraw his money, he was asked to pay an additional Rs 5 lakh as tax.

Realising he had been defrauded,Sandeep Kumar found himself unable to access the Rs 20,54,464 he had invested, he claimed.

“They asked me to pay Rs 5 lakh more as tax to their account, where I got to know that I have been a victim of financial fraud. I am not able to withdraw my approximately Rs 20,54,464 invested money,” Sandeep Kumar stated.

In addition to the financial loss, Sandeep Kumar alleged he has been receiving “death threats” from the fraudsters via Telegram and phone calls.

“I am getting death threats from these people on Telegram as well as on calls to defreeze the accounts,” he added.

A police official said an FIR was registered at the Cyber Crime police station in Noida Sector 36 and the matter is under investigation.

“The FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation), and provisions of the Information Technology Act,” the local police official added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A 22-year-old woman was strangled allegedly by her husband over matrimonial dispute on Wednesday in southwest Delhi, police said.

The killed woman was identified as Pooja, a resident of Rajokri, they said.

“On Wednesday at 12.38 pm, a PCR call was received regarding a murder at Vasant Kunj South police station following which a team was rushed to the spot,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Rohit Meena said.

“Prima facie matrimonial dispute seems the reason behind murder. From the initial examination of the dead body, it has been found that the death is due to strangulation,” said the DCP.

During the initial enquiry, the police found that Pooja and her husband Abhishek had gotten married a month ago. Both had married for the second time. While Abhishek had no children from his first marriage, Pooja had a son.

Police said that the Forensic Science Laboratory team and crime team have inspected the spot. A case is being registered and multiple teams are working to nab the accused.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A 20-year-old man was stabbed to death by eight attackers in Delhi’s Sangam Vihar on Saturday night.

Shocking CCTV visuals show the 20-year-old surrounded by his killers and dragged down a narrow street as they stab and kick him in a blind fury. The horrific assault continues for several seconds – even as over half-a-dozen eyewitnesses, including several on two-wheelers, stand by and do nothing.

As the minute-long CCTV clip plays out, some of the attackers break off and watch as four of them drag their victim back down the street while continuing their savage attack.

Thirty seconds into the clip – it is unclear how long the attack went on before it was caught on camera – the teen is pushed to the side of the road, and his bloodied shirt reveals the multiple stab wounds.

Police Case Filed

Police were alerted after staff at the Majeedia Hospital said they had admitted a patient – identified as Dilshad, a resident of the area – who had been assaulted with a knife and was in “critical condition”.

Authorities rushed to the hospital and found Dilshad being treated for multiple stab injuries on his chest and other parts of his body. He was on a ventilator to assist in breathing and was swiftly referred to the Delhi government-run Safdarjung Hospital for better treatment. He was not able to give a statement.

However, a police case was filed on the basis of information provided by the hospital and eight suspects – all minors – were taken into custody. All are also residents of Sangam Vihar.

Initial inquiries have revealed the murder followed a fight that took place last year.