Delhi High Court orders immediate closure of coaching centres without fire clearances

Following a report by the Delhi Police revealing that only 67 out of the 580 coaching centres in Delhi possess valid fire clearances, the Delhi High Court has taken a firm stance on fire safety regulations. As per ToI report, the court directed the concerned authorities to take stringent action within 30 days.

The direction comes after a recent fire incident in at a coaching centre in Mukherjee Nagar, a hub for government job aspirants.

The Delhi HC ordered the immediate closure of all coaching centres that do not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the fire services department, emphasizing the critical importance of "fire safety."


The bench, comprising Chief Justice S C Sharma and Justice Saurabh Banerjee, emphasized that all coaching centres are obligated to comply with statutory requirements under the Master Plan for Delhi (MPD), 2021, and other applicable regulations.

The court's attention was drawn to the functioning of coaching centres in Mukherjee Nagar. Seeking reports from authorities on the measures taken, the court expressed concern over the lack of fire clearances.

The status report submitted by Delhi Police revealed that out of the 583 coaching institutes in the national capital, only 67 had obtained NOCs from the Delhi Fire Services (DFS).

Disturbed by this revelation, the HC declared that coaching centres failing to comply with the master plan provisions must be closed down, leaving no alternative. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi government were directed to take prompt action against coaching centres without fire NOCs.

The court further ordered the police, fire services department, and other relevant authorities to provide full support to the MCD in implementing the order within 30 days. Additionally, the civic body was urged to take action against non-compliant structures apart from coaching centres.

During the proceedings, the government's counsel disclosed that over 95% of coaching centres lacked fire safety certificates despite being a mandatory requirement. A report from the DFS confirmed that 461 coaching centres surveyed lacked essential fire preventive and safety measures.

The Delhi government's counsel clarified that only the MCD had the authority to close down such institutes, assuring the court that actions have already been taken, and sealing orders have been issued to violators.

Previously, the HC had called for a status report from local authorities in June after a news report depicted students attempting to escape from an institute by smashing windows and using ropes.