A classroom of dreams, a trap of neglect: The alarming rise in coaching centre disasters
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Tejnarayan Thakur
Every parent dreams of seeing their child succeed. Every student enters a classroom with hope in their eyes and aspirations in their heart. Across India, millions of young people spend long hours in coaching centres preparing for competitive examinations, believing that education is the pathway to a better future. These institutions have become an integral part of India’s education ecosystem, helping students prepare for examinations such as UPSC, SSC, NEET, JEE, CUET, banking, and various state recruitment tests. However, recent tragedies have exposed a disturbing reality: many of these centres are failing in their most fundamental responsibility—ensuring the safety of the students entrusted to their care.
The devastating fire at a coaching centre in Aliganj, Lucknow, on 22 June 2026, claimed 15 young lives and left several others injured. According to official reports, the blaze spread rapidly through the commercial building, trapping students inside smoke-filled classrooms and forcing some to jump from windows in desperate attempts to escape. Rescue teams battled intense heat and thick smoke to reach those trapped. Subsequent investigations have focused on alleged lapses in fire safety compliance, including questions regarding building approvals and electrical safety clearances. The tragedy has once again raised an urgent question: Are our coaching centres truly safe places for learning?
The Lucknow tragedy came less than two years after another heartbreaking incident that shocked the nation. On 27 July 2024, three UPSC aspirants lost their lives at a coaching institute in Old Rajinder Nagar, Delhi, when the basement library was flooded following heavy rainfall. Investigations found that the basement, originally intended for parking and storage, was being used as a library in violation of building regulations. The incident led to nationwide inspections, the sealing of several coaching centres, and renewed demands for stricter enforcement of safety norms.
Although the Delhi and Lucknow incidents were different in nature—one caused by flooding and the other by fire—the underlying causes were strikingly similar. In both cases, negligence, weak regulatory oversight, unauthorized use of buildings, inadequate emergency exits, and poor compliance with safety standards transformed places of learning into places of tragedy. These were not unavoidable disasters; they were preventable failures.
India’s coaching industry has expanded rapidly over the past two decades. Every year, millions of students leave their homes in search of better educational opportunities in cities such as Delhi, Kota, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Pune, and many other emerging coaching hubs. While institutions proudly celebrate their toppers and success stories, equal importance must be given to student safety. Academic excellence cannot come at the cost of human lives.
Reports from various states have repeatedly highlighted common safety deficiencies in coaching centres, including overcrowded classrooms, narrow staircases, blocked emergency exits, inadequate fire-fighting equipment, poorly maintained electrical systems, and the absence of regular emergency evacuation drills. In many instances, commercial buildings originally designed for offices or retail establishments have been converted into educational institutions without adequate structural modifications or safety measures.
The responsibility for addressing these shortcomings cannot rest solely with coaching centre owners. Municipal authorities, fire services, electricity departments, urban local bodies, and district administrations all have a collective responsibility to ensure strict compliance with safety regulations. Safety certificates should never become mere paperwork. They must reflect genuine compliance verified through regular inspections, independent audits, and strict enforcement. Institutions found violating prescribed norms should face immediate corrective action, including suspension of operations until deficiencies are rectified.
Equally important is the need to build a culture of preparedness. Every coaching centre should be equipped with functional fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, fire alarms, emergency lighting, clearly marked evacuation routes, and at least two unobstructed emergency exits wherever required under applicable building and fire safety norms. Regular fire and earthquake evacuation drills should become mandatory so that both students and staff know how to respond calmly and effectively during emergencies. Safety awareness must become an integral part of educational administration rather than a reaction after tragedy strikes.
For Manipur, these incidents carry a particularly important message. The number of coaching centres has grown significantly in recent years, especially in Imphal, as increasing numbers of students prepare for competitive examinations and professional courses. This growth reflects the aspirations of the State’s youth, but it also demands stronger regulatory oversight. The Government of Manipur should establish a comprehensive framework for the registration, inspection, and periodic safety certification of coaching institutions. Regular inspections by the Fire Service Department and municipal authorities, along with strict compliance with building and fire safety regulations, should become mandatory. A publicly accessible digital registry displaying safety certifications and inspection status would also help parents make informed decisions before enrolling their children.
Parents, too, have an important role to play. Before choosing a coaching institute, they should not only consider academic reputation but also verify whether the premises have adequate emergency exits, fire safety equipment, and safe infrastructure. No examination result or promise of success is worth compromising a child’s safety.
Behind every statistic reported in the news lies a deeply personal story. The fifteen young people who lost their lives in Lucknow were not merely numbers. They were sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends and classmates. They carried dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, civil servants, teachers, entrepreneurs, and professionals. Their parents invested not only money but also years of hope and sacrifice in their education. Those dreams ended not because of a lack of ability or determination, but because basic safety measures failed them.
The flames that engulfed the Lucknow coaching centre did not merely claim fifteen lives; they consumed fifteen dreams, fifteen futures, and countless hopes. The nation owes these young students far more than condolences. It owes them accountability, justice, and an unwavering commitment that no classroom of dreams will ever again become a trap of neglect.
As India advances towards becoming a developed nation, our educational institutions must represent not only centres of academic excellence but also models of safety, responsibility, and public trust. The true measure of an educational institution is not only the number of successful candidates it produces but also the care and protection it provides to every student who walks through its doors.
Let the tragedies in Delhi and Lucknow become lasting lessons rather than forgotten headlines. Let them inspire stronger laws, stricter enforcement, responsible institutional management, and greater public awareness. Above all, let us ensure that every classroom remains what it is meant to be—a place where dreams are nurtured, knowledge flourishes, and every student returns home safely.
The writer is research scholar, Department of Commerce, Dhanamanjuri University, Manipur
The author can be reached at [email protected]
Every parent dreams of seeing their child succeed. Every student enters a classroom with hope in their eyes and aspirations in their heart. Across India, millions of young people spend long hours in coaching centres preparing for competitive examinations, believing that education is the pathway to a better future. These institutions have become an integral part of India’s education ecosystem, helping students prepare for examinations such as UPSC, SSC, NEET, JEE, CUET, banking, and various state recruitment tests. However, recent tragedies have exposed a disturbing reality: many of these centres are failing in their most fundamental responsibility—ensuring the safety of the students entrusted to their care.
The devastating fire at a coaching centre in Aliganj, Lucknow, on 22 June 2026, claimed 15 young lives and left several others injured. According to official reports, the blaze spread rapidly through the commercial building, trapping students inside smoke-filled classrooms and forcing some to jump from windows in desperate attempts to escape. Rescue teams battled intense heat and thick smoke to reach those trapped. Subsequent investigations have focused on alleged lapses in fire safety compliance, including questions regarding building approvals and electrical safety clearances. The tragedy has once again raised an urgent question: Are our coaching centres truly safe places for learning?
The Lucknow tragedy came less than two years after another heartbreaking incident that shocked the nation. On 27 July 2024, three UPSC aspirants lost their lives at a coaching institute in Old Rajinder Nagar, Delhi, when the basement library was flooded following heavy rainfall. Investigations found that the basement, originally intended for parking and storage, was being used as a library in violation of building regulations. The incident led to nationwide inspections, the sealing of several coaching centres, and renewed demands for stricter enforcement of safety norms.
Although the Delhi and Lucknow incidents were different in nature—one caused by flooding and the other by fire—the underlying causes were strikingly similar. In both cases, negligence, weak regulatory oversight, unauthorized use of buildings, inadequate emergency exits, and poor compliance with safety standards transformed places of learning into places of tragedy. These were not unavoidable disasters; they were preventable failures.
India’s coaching industry has expanded rapidly over the past two decades. Every year, millions of students leave their homes in search of better educational opportunities in cities such as Delhi, Kota, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Pune, and many other emerging coaching hubs. While institutions proudly celebrate their toppers and success stories, equal importance must be given to student safety. Academic excellence cannot come at the cost of human lives.
Reports from various states have repeatedly highlighted common safety deficiencies in coaching centres, including overcrowded classrooms, narrow staircases, blocked emergency exits, inadequate fire-fighting equipment, poorly maintained electrical systems, and the absence of regular emergency evacuation drills. In many instances, commercial buildings originally designed for offices or retail establishments have been converted into educational institutions without adequate structural modifications or safety measures.
The responsibility for addressing these shortcomings cannot rest solely with coaching centre owners. Municipal authorities, fire services, electricity departments, urban local bodies, and district administrations all have a collective responsibility to ensure strict compliance with safety regulations. Safety certificates should never become mere paperwork. They must reflect genuine compliance verified through regular inspections, independent audits, and strict enforcement. Institutions found violating prescribed norms should face immediate corrective action, including suspension of operations until deficiencies are rectified.
Equally important is the need to build a culture of preparedness. Every coaching centre should be equipped with functional fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, fire alarms, emergency lighting, clearly marked evacuation routes, and at least two unobstructed emergency exits wherever required under applicable building and fire safety norms. Regular fire and earthquake evacuation drills should become mandatory so that both students and staff know how to respond calmly and effectively during emergencies. Safety awareness must become an integral part of educational administration rather than a reaction after tragedy strikes.
For Manipur, these incidents carry a particularly important message. The number of coaching centres has grown significantly in recent years, especially in Imphal, as increasing numbers of students prepare for competitive examinations and professional courses. This growth reflects the aspirations of the State’s youth, but it also demands stronger regulatory oversight. The Government of Manipur should establish a comprehensive framework for the registration, inspection, and periodic safety certification of coaching institutions. Regular inspections by the Fire Service Department and municipal authorities, along with strict compliance with building and fire safety regulations, should become mandatory. A publicly accessible digital registry displaying safety certifications and inspection status would also help parents make informed decisions before enrolling their children.
Parents, too, have an important role to play. Before choosing a coaching institute, they should not only consider academic reputation but also verify whether the premises have adequate emergency exits, fire safety equipment, and safe infrastructure. No examination result or promise of success is worth compromising a child’s safety.
Behind every statistic reported in the news lies a deeply personal story. The fifteen young people who lost their lives in Lucknow were not merely numbers. They were sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends and classmates. They carried dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, civil servants, teachers, entrepreneurs, and professionals. Their parents invested not only money but also years of hope and sacrifice in their education. Those dreams ended not because of a lack of ability or determination, but because basic safety measures failed them.
The flames that engulfed the Lucknow coaching centre did not merely claim fifteen lives; they consumed fifteen dreams, fifteen futures, and countless hopes. The nation owes these young students far more than condolences. It owes them accountability, justice, and an unwavering commitment that no classroom of dreams will ever again become a trap of neglect.
As India advances towards becoming a developed nation, our educational institutions must represent not only centres of academic excellence but also models of safety, responsibility, and public trust. The true measure of an educational institution is not only the number of successful candidates it produces but also the care and protection it provides to every student who walks through its doors.
Let the tragedies in Delhi and Lucknow become lasting lessons rather than forgotten headlines. Let them inspire stronger laws, stricter enforcement, responsible institutional management, and greater public awareness. Above all, let us ensure that every classroom remains what it is meant to be—a place where dreams are nurtured, knowledge flourishes, and every student returns home safely.
The writer is research scholar, Department of Commerce, Dhanamanjuri University, Manipur
The author can be reached at [email protected]