Tragedy is, unfortunately, often followed by feverish corrective action as well as blame game. The shocking death of three aspirants for the Indian Administrative Services in one of Delhi’s most well-known coaching centres has witnessed both these trends. The Delhi government has proposed — quite late in the day — a law to regulate coaching centres. This is a classic instance of the government attempting to, as they say, shut the stable door after the horse has bolted. The Delhi Master Plan expressly states that coaching centres can use basements — like the space where the students drowned at Rau’s IAS Study Circle — after receiving clearance from the relevant authorities. Such a clearance, evidently, had not been obtained by the errant coaching centre. Several irregularities have been reported from other coaching centres in the city and in other hubs. Why did the government fail to act against these institutions earlier? Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has absolved itself of all wrongdoing amidst the sickening, predictable ritual of finger pointing between the political rivals, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party.

The political hullabaloo must not deflect public attention from what needs to be done. First, there should be punitive action taken by the authorities against coaching institutes guilty of any violation of norms. That is not all. The avarice, corruption and nexus among municipal authorities, the political class as well as builders and owners that are instrumental in the bending of rules must be investigated, exposed and penalised. This should not wait till another tragedy befalls a city. But tracking municipal complicity or oversight cannot be the responsibility of the authorities alone. Citizens, especially the families who enrol their children in coaching centres that have spread like a rash, have their task cut out too. They should be mindful of the state of logistics and the general amenities available at the institutes where their children are taught and trained. The pursuit of excellence cannot come at the cost of precious young lives.