Coaching centres sealed in Ranchi as exams approach: Why is the civic body’s action drawing questions?

The padlocks being placed on coaching centres across Ranchi are not merely about shutting doors. They have also triggered questions about enforcement, timing and the impact of civic action on students preparing for crucial examinations.

The Ranchi Municipal Corporation has taken action against several coaching institutes over alleged non-compliance with fire safety norms and failure to produce required documents. As part of the drive, five coaching centres operating from Hariom Tower were sealed.

The civic body had earlier issued notices to the institutes seeking documents related to fire safety, occupancy certificates, trade licences and other mandatory approvals. After giving the institutes three days to comply, the corporation proceeded with the sealing action.

However, the immediate impact has been felt by students. With half-yearly examinations approaching, many students have suddenly found their classrooms inaccessible. The same rooms where they were preparing for their examinations are now behind sealed doors.

Teachers and coaching operators say they have no objection to complying with safety requirements and are willing to submit the documents sought by the municipal authorities. Their argument, however, is that some of the required documents are linked to building owners and developers, making it difficult to arrange everything within a short deadline.

The joint secretary of Hariom Tower, along with representatives of the coaching institutes, has reportedly sought two to two-and-a-half months to complete the documentation process. They have said they are prepared to personally submit the required papers to the municipal corporation and, if necessary, provide an undertaking on stamp paper.

In other words, their demand is not for exemption from the rules but for additional time to meet the prescribed requirements.

Meanwhile, fire safety arrangements at Hariom Tower, including fire extinguishers, water storage and other facilities, have also come under scrutiny. This has brought another question into focus: the scope and uniformity of the enforcement drive.

Hariom Tower reportedly houses more than 150 shops and other commercial establishments. There is little dispute that buildings and commercial establishments should comply with fire safety and other statutory requirements. The larger question being raised by coaching operators is whether the same standards are being checked and enforced across all commercial establishments with equal intensity.

The issue has become particularly sensitive because coaching centres are being targeted at a time when students are in the middle of their academic preparations. While the municipal corporation maintains that its action is linked to safety and regulatory compliance, coaching operators are seeking time to complete the formalities, and students are caught between the two sides.

The controversy, therefore, goes beyond the question of when the five sealed coaching centres will reopen.

If the Ranchi Municipal Corporation has launched a broader drive to ensure compliance with safety standards, will the exercise extend uniformly to every commercial establishment operating in the city? Or will coaching centres continue to remain the most visible targets of the enforcement campaign?

That is the question now being raised as students wait for their classrooms to reopen and coaching operators seek more time to bring their establishments into compliance.