'I'm Being Targeted': Drishti IAS Founder Vikas Divyakirti Amid Row Over Students' Deaths

Amid ongoing investigations into the deaths of three UPSC aspirants who drowned in a flooded basement at Rau’s IAS Study Circle, Vikas Divyakirti, owner of the Drishti IAS coaching institute, has claimed that he is being targeted as a “scapegoat”.

In an interview with news agency ANI on Tuesday, Divyakirti said, “I am getting targeted because in such cases, everyone wants a scapegoat. It makes things easier for the administration, they think they are safe, let that one person suffer, and even the society feels that they have got the accused.”

Regarding the flooding incident, Divyakirti remarked, “It is a big responsibility of the coaching institutes…It is the responsibility of every institute to rectify it and I am ready to fulfill my responsibility. We will not do anything that is not allowed in Delhi, even if we have to leave Delhi. We will work only in the approved buildings.”

Earlier today, Divyakirti issued his first statement after the basement of his institute was sealed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi amid crackdown on coaching institutions in the national capital.

In a social media post shared on Drishti IAS’s official handle on ‘X’, Divyakirti expressed sorrow over the deaths of the students and conveyed his condolences.

He wrote, “We express our deepest condolences on the unfortunate incident of Saturday in which 3 students Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni and Nivin Dalvin died untimely and tragically. We pay our humble tributes to the three children and pray to God that Please give strength to his family to bear this irreparable loss.”

Divyakirti acknowledged the justified anger among students following the incident. He urged that this anger be channeled constructively and called for the implementation of strict guidelines for coaching institutes.

“It would be great if this anger gets a proper direction and the government implements certain guidelines for coaching institutes. We are actively cooperating with the government in this regard. Looking forward to doing it,” he stated.

‘Not as simple as it appears’

Divyakirti, who is also an educator and YouTuber, highlighted that the issues surrounding coaching institutes are “not as simple as it appears on the surface”.

He pointed out significant inconsistencies and contradictions in the regulations from various bodies including the DDA, MCD, and the Delhi Fire Department.

“There is no provision for coaching institutes in any document except ‘Delhi Master Plan-2021’. Clear provisions have not been given. It is hoped that when the committee appointed by the Union Home Ministry submits its report in a month, most of the above mentioned points will be resolved in it,” the educator noted.

Emphasising Drishti IAS’s commitment to student safety, Divyakirti assured that extensive measures are in place to ensure secure environments.

“At present, our management has a special post of ‘Fire and Safety Officer’ on which the officer working is a graduate from National Fire Service College (Nagpur) and has been working in big hospitals and malls for 14 years… In addition, an officer is assigned to each building to keep a check on the safety of 16 buildings daily,” he asserted.

Through his statement, Divyakirti proposed a long-term solution, suggesting that the government designate specific areas in Delhi for coaching institutes and take responsibility for constructing classrooms, libraries, and hostels.

“If the government itself prepares classrooms, libraries, hostels, then there will be no problem of high rent or security. of the provisions relating thereto,” he suggested.

He concluded by announcing that Drishti IAS will soon release a detailed analysis to clarify the complexities of the situation.

“We will soon release a detailed analysis (article or video) to clarify the complexities of this topic so that all students and other stakeholders can understand all aspects. We believe that when all aspects are revealed, The right path to the solution will emerge,” he stated.