Page 2 - Ias Officers

Coaching centre drowning incident: Court sends accused to 14 days custody

Five accused arrested on Monday in connection with an incident, in which three civil service aspirants drowned at the basement of a coaching centre here, have been sent to judicial custody for 14 days by a court. The five accused -- four co-owners of the coaching centre at Rajinder Nagar and the driver of a car -- were produced in the court, which sent them to judicial custody till August 12. The driver of a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that drove through the street that was flooded by rainwater, causing the water to swell and breach the gates of the three-storey building and inundate the basement, was among the five arrested. His counsel told the court that his client had no intention or knowledge of causing death and sought his immediate release on bail. However, the plea was denied by the court.

Coaching culture has become a gas chamber, need to study ad spend: Dhankhar

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said the culture of coaching centres has become no less than a "gas chamber" and stressed on the need to examine the huge expenditure incurred on newspaper advertisements by them. The Rajya Sabha on Monday held a short duration discussion under rule 176 on the deaths of three UPSC aspirants in a coaching centre in Delhi due to water logging. Allowing the discussion, Dhakhar remarked, "I find that youth demographic dividend of the country has to be nurtured, I further find that coaching has become virtually commerce." He also pointed out the high sums earned by the coaching centres leading to commercialisation of education. "Coachings have become a flourishing industry with high returns....every time we read a newspaper front one or two pages are by way of advertisements....Every penny spent on advertisement is coming from the students, every new building is coming from the students," he said. Comparing the coaching culture to no less

No politics over students' death at coaching centre: Pradhan in RS

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday said coaching institutes have to follow the rules and regulations and asserted that there should be no politics over the death of three UPSC aspirants due to flooding at an institute here. Taking part in a short debate in the Rajya Sabha over the death of three students at a UPSC coaching centre in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar on July 27, the minister termed the incident unfortunate. Nothing would compensate for the loss the bereaved families have suffered, Pradhan said. "We must fix responsibility so that such incidents do not recur," he said, adding, "There should be no politics... Negligence has happened and someone has to take responsibility so that a solution can be found." Stressing that education is in the concurrent list and is the responsibility of the Centre as well as the state, Pradhan said the coaching centres have responsibilities too. The Government of India sent advisories related to coaching centres to the states

Delhi coaching centre deaths: Probe indicates lapses on part of owner

Investigations into the Old Rajinder Nagar coaching centre flooding incident that led to the death of three IAS aspirants have indicated multiple lapses on the part of its owner and civic authorities, officials said on Sunday. The Delhi Police has registered an FIR and formed multiple teams to probe the incident. The owner and the coordinator of the Rau's IAS Study Circle have been arrested and booked for culpable homicide and other charges. "Multiple teams have been formed to investigate the entire incident. We have asked the Delhi Fire Services to provide us with a report about the building and the basement, which was being used as a library but mentioned as store room," a senior police officer said. A police officer said more than 35 people, including students and coaching centre staffers, were trapped on Saturday evening when water started gushing into the basement following heavy rains. According to sources in the police department, the basement's gate was closed, but due to t

Criminal neglect, maintenance failure: LG on Delhi coaching centre incident

Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena on Sunday directed the divisional commissioner to submit a report on the deaths of three civil service aspirants in the basement of a coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar due to a rain-induced flooding. UP's Shreya Yadav, Telangana's Tanya Soni and Navin Dalwin from Kerala died after the basement of the building housing the coaching centre -- Rau's IAS Study Circle -- got flooded after heavy rain in the central Delhi area on Saturday evening, officials said. The LG said the incident points to "criminal neglect" and lack of "basic maintenance" by concerned agencies and said the guilty will be brought to book. Saxena said he is deeply anguished by the deaths of the civil services aspirants. "That this should happen in the capital of India is most unfortunate & unacceptable," he said in a post on X. "Reportedly 7 other citizens have died due to electrocution in the past few days. My deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives. .

Cracking UPSC exam was her dream since childhood, says Tanya Soni's father

Tanya Soni, one of the three UPSC aspirants who died due to rain-induced flooding in the basement of a coaching centre in Delhi, had since her childhood dreamt of becoming a civil servant. Tanya's father Vijay Kumar told PTI that his daughter had been studying at the centre for the past one month after graduating in BA political science from a college in the national capital. "Tanya had completed her graduation in Delhi and was preparing for UPSC there. She had a lot of interest since her childhood (in cracking UPSC)," Vijay Kumar said, as he was on his way to take his daughter's body from Delhi to their native place in Bihar. He said the family was travelling in a train to Lucknow when they received the news about death of Tanya. "After getting information (about Tanya's death) we got down at Nagpur and took a flight to Delhi," he said. Kumar said Tanya's body has been handed over to them and "we are on the way to Bihar (where the last rites will be conducted)". Kumar has been .

Coaching centre deaths: Storm drains were covered by encroachers, says MCD

The storm drains built to carry away excess water due to heavy rains in the Old Rajendra Nagar area, where three civil services aspirants died after being trapped in the basement of a coaching institute, were covered by encroachers, a senior MCD official said on Sunday. The drainage system in the area was heavily clogged with silt and overflowed leading to a flood-like situation due to the rains that lashed parts of Delhi on Saturday, locals complained. Three civil services aspirants -- two females and a male -- lost their lives as they were trapped inside the library running in the basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle, which flooded due to rain and reportedly led to the failure of the single biometric entry and exit point. The police, however, said it is yet to confirm the biometric lock claim and will investigate it. Asked about reports of waterlogged drains in the area and if their de-silting was completed, the senior MCD officer directed PTI to the deputy commissioner of the zone

Delhi coaching centre deaths: Police detain protesting students near metro

A few students were detained after they staged a protest in Old Rajinder Nagar here on Sunday, demanding action against those responsible for the deaths of three civil services aspirants at a coaching centre in the area, and compensation for their families. Raising slogans "we want justice", the protestors blocked the road next to the Karol Bagh Metro Station, causing huge traffic snarls in the area and prompting police intervention. A scuffle erupted between the students and police, after which a few protestors were detained and taken away in a bus. Following this, many demonstrators dispersed from the area and police resumed the traffic movement there. The police also used body camera and drones to monitor protestors' activities during the demonstration. Shreya Yadav of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Navin Dalwin from Ernakulam in Kerala died after the basement of the building housing the coaching centre Rau's IAS Study Circle was flooded followi

Coaching centre deaths: Fire services faced many challenges during rescue

The Delhi Fire Services faced multiple challenges during the rescue operation at a coaching centre where three civil services aspirants died after the basement of the centre was flooded following rain in central Delhi, officials said on Sunday. "It was around 7.10 pm, when we got a call from the area magistrate about the rescue operation. Though it was not a fire-related incident, we rushed five fire tenders on humanitarian grounds," DFS chief Atul Garg told PTI. Garg further said that the major challenge was to pump out the water from the basement. "Our pumping machines can pump the water out... But due to heavy rain, the water level on the road and the basement was equal. When we started pumping out the water, it again gushed at the same location," Garg said. He further said the fire fighters had to wait more than half an hour to drain the water accumulated on the streets due to heavy rain. As the water on the streets got drained naturally, fire fighters immediately launched the

Nudged out amid current controversy: Cong on UPSC chairman resignation

With the UPSC chairman Manoj Soni resigning citing personal reasons, the Congress on Saturday said he apparently "nudged out" given the current controversy in which the UPSC is involved. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also said the sanctity and autonomy of all Constitutional bodies have been badly damaged since 2014 -- the year Narendra Modi became prime minister. Soni has resigned citing personal reasons before the expiry of his tenure in May 2029, official sources said on Saturday. His resignation is "not in any way connected to controversies and allegations surrounding the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) after probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar issue came to the fore," they said. Reacting to the development, Ramesh said, "The sanctity, character, autonomy, and professionalism of all Constitutional bodies have been badly damaged since 2014. But at times even the self-anointed non-biological PM is forced to say enough in enough." He ad

UPSC issues notice to cancel IAS selection of officer Pooja Khedkar

Pooja Khedkar, 32, came to the spotlight after it was alleged that she misused her privileges while being posted as a trainee IAS officer in Pune, Maharashtra

IAS Pooja Khedkar has 7% locomotor disability: Pune-based private hospital

Controversial trainee IAS Pooja Khedkar is accused of forging documents to claim disability and OBC reservation quota to secure UPSC seat

Police to probe veracity of medical documents of trainee IAS Puja Khedkar

Pune police will conduct an inquiry into the authenticity of medical certificates submitted by probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, accused of misrepresenting herself under the physical disabilities category, an official said on Tuesday. Khedkar, the 2023-batch officer currently posted in Washim district, had submitted to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) multiple medical certificates, one of them indicating visual impairment, under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) provision. The 34-year-old Maharashtra cadre officer faces accusations of using fraudulent means to clear her civil services exam, including allegedly misrepresenting herself under the physical disabilities and OBC categories, and misusing power and privileges during her posting in Pune. The Office of the Commissioner For Persons With Disabilities has written a letter to the Pune police and the district collectorate to verify the certificates submitted by Khedkar. A senior police official said, "

'Country demands pro-activeness,' PM Modi tells trainee IAS officers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked trainee IAS officers to provide the best possible governance and quality of life to citizens as he said that 'New India' is not satisfied with a lackadaisical approach and demands pro-activeness. It is their choice, he told them, whether they will act as speed-breakers or superfast highways in service delivery. The saturation approach pursued by his government to reach out to every entitled beneficiary of welfare schemes ensures social justice and prevents discrimination, he said according to a statement. He told the trainee officers of the 2022 batch that they should aspire to be catalytic agents, and they will feel satisfaction when they see change happening in front of their eyes. Talking about schemes like 'Lakhpati Didi', 'Drone Didi' and 'PM Awas Yojana', he said all of them should work with a saturation approach to take these schemes further to people. Modi said 'Nation First' is not just a slogan but his life's aim and exhorted

Former IAS officer P K Mishra to continue as Principal Secretary to PM Modi

Former IAS officer P K Mishra has been re-appointed as the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Personnel Ministry order said. His appointment will come into effect from June 10, 2024, it said. "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Dr P.K. Mishra, IAS (Retired) as Principal Secretary to Prime Minister with effect from 10.06.2024. His appointment will be co-terminus with the term of the Prime Minister or until further orders whichever is earlier," the order said.

A question of spirit

Busy civil servants preparing a five-year plan for the next government raises questions about convention

IAS officer to constable: Govt training for employees has hits and misses

Mission Karmayogi is ambitious in its target but vague about how civil servants are using what they learn

Gujarat govt transfers 50 IAS officers ahead of Lok Sabha elections

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls due in a few months, the Gujarat government has transferred 50 IAS officers, including various collectors and district development officers (DDOs). The state General Administration Department issued a notification to this effect on Tuesday night, an official said. As per the notification, Jamnagar district collector B A Shah has been transferred as the new collector of Vadodara district. AB Gor, currently serving as the Vadodara collector, has been appointed in the Chief Minister's Office in Gandhinagar as Officer on Special Duty (OSD). Surat collector Aayush Oak has been transferred as the new collector of Valsad. Sourabh Pardhi, currently serving as the managing director of the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd, has been appointed as the new collector of Surat. Morbi district collector GT Pandya has now been appointed as the collector of Devbhumi Dwarka district. Navsari collector Amit Prakash Yadav has now been made the collector of Kheda distric

Chhattisgarh govt recommends CBI probe into PSC-2021 irregularities scam

The BJP pointed out that relatives of politicians, IAS officers and bureaucrats had made it to the selection list

Raghvendra Singh appointed as principal secretary to Madhya Pradesh CM

Raghvendra Kumar Singh, a 1997 batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the principal secretary to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. The order to this effect was issued on Friday night. As per the government order, Singh will replace Manish Rastogi, a 1994 batch IAS officer. Rastogi was the principal secretary of former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Before being appointed to this post, Singh was the principal secretary of the mining department. Mohan Yadav, MLA from Ujjain South, was sworn in as the new chief minister of Madhya Pradesh on December 13.