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Almost all coaching institutes in Old Rajinder Nagar (ORN), a hub of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in New Delhi, have been shut down following the tragic death of three Indian Administrative Service (IAS) aspirants due to flooding in the basement of RAU’s coaching centre on Saturday, July 27.
In response, a significant number of students have taken to the streets of ORN, staging protests and hunger strikes to draw the attention of authorities and demand improvements to the UPSC hub’s infrastructure.
ORN students narrate their ordeal
EdexLive reached out to several students in ORN to understand their living conditions and civic issues.
Speaking with Yashank Mathankar, a UPSC aspirant, EdexLive learnt that students at ORN face severe financial difficulties and poor accommodation conditions.
“There is a significant lack of consistency in rents at ORN, as it largely depends on the owner and broker's discretion, often leading to financial exploitation,” said Yashank.
“We lack a regulatory system or authority to standardise rent prices and ensure uniformity,” he said.
Yashank emphasised that finding accommodation in the city requires contacting a broker, and all systems are unregistered, as noted by the USPC aspirant.
“Despite paying Rs 12,000 in rent, we still face issues like contaminated water and food poisoning. Our building is not earthquake resistant. Our building is not earthquake-resistant, and during the heavy flooding in Delhi each monsoon, we’re constantly at risk due to exposed transformers and cables,” explained Yashank.
Landlord issues
Sumit Kumar shed light on the grievances related to landlords and the process of finding decent accommodation at ORN.
According to Sumit, students often have to shell out Rs 500 - Rs 700 for an agreement form issued by the owner.
“Brokers and house owners charge whatever they please. This is coupled with poor food and living conditions. The landlords here are highly dominating, and they believe that we students will pay any amount they demand,” said Sumit.
Furthermore, water logging and drainage problems have been prominent issues.
“Open gutters, constant water flow, malaria risks, and contaminated water — this is the harsh reality for students living at ORN,” Kumar claimed.
He also mentioned that rent hikes range from ₹5,000-6,000 within three to six months without prior notice.
Sumit, who resides near Golchakkar, ORN, believes that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) needs to revisit ORN’s infrastructure and establish a regulatory system.
Open sewage and cable hazards
“An open sewage block right in the middle of the road causes constant commuting issues. While there is plenty of blame to go around for the authorities, it’s also important to address the behaviour of the residents here,” said Yashank when asked about civic issues at ORN.
“Civic sense should be a personal responsibility. While the infrastructure is indeed lacking, individuals also need to contribute to making a positive difference,” he added.
The 24-year-old UPSC aspirant also highlighted that several cables usually are found lying on the ground and hanging everywhere. The aspirant added, “A regular truck cannot pass through the street where we live because of the bunch of cables hanging everywhere. This is a direct threat to our lives.”
Kush Chaturvedi, another ORN resident, mentioned that the lanes are too narrow and shared an incident where he was nearly strangled by these wires.
“I was riding my bike from point A to point B, and these cables got entangled around my chest. I was terrified. This is just poor management.”
Continuing his point, Chaturvedi noted that room rates are managed illegally.
“With no oversight, brokers are taking illegal routes and charging exorbitant amounts.”
An anonymous protesting student reported that there have been about 25,000 complaints from students. However, owing to threats from landlords, many students are afraid to come forward.
