Systemic failure, administrative apathy push UPSC aspirants to death's door

UPSC aspirants from various parts of the country come to Old Rajendra Nagar in Delhi with dreams of becoming IAS-IPS officers. Tragically, some returned home in coffins, paying the ultimate price for a flawed system.

Three aspirants who had the potential to bring about change, tragically lost their lives in the basement of Rau’s IAS coaching centre because of drowning caused by flooding from a moderate rainfall. This incident highlights the incompetence of the local administration, which failed to fulfil their responsibilities properly. The incident has exposed the complete collapse of urban infrastructure in Delhi, and a lack of accountability by the host of authorities tasked with ensuring the safety of millions of residents.

Incidents like this in the national capital underscore the complete failure of the central, state, and civic organisations responsible for managing Delhi. The city is governed by multiple departments across three levels: the Central government, led by the Lieutenant Governor; the state government, headed by Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP); and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which is also under AAP’s control. Despite this, Delhi suffers from inadequate urban infrastructure, while these authorities are preoccupied with blaming each other rather than addressing the issues and improving conditions for residents in and around the national capital.