No Less Than A Gas Chamber: Vice President Dhankhar On Coaching Institutes
Today in the Rajya Sabha, a short-duration discussion was held under Rule 176 on the tragic deaths of UPSC aspirants in a Delhi coaching center due to waterlogging. Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar, highlighted the issues surrounding the coaching industry, emphasising the need to nurture the youth demographic dividend of the country. He remarked, “Coaching has become virtually commerce.”
Dhankhar expressed concern over the substantial expenditure by coaching centers on newspaper advertisements, funded by the hefty fees charged to students. He stated, “Coaching has become a flourishing industry with high returns. Every time we read a newspaper, the front one or two pages are filled with advertisements. Every penny spent on advertisement is coming from the students; every new building is coming from the students.”
Drawing a stark comparison, Dhankhar likened the silos created by the coaching culture to “gas chambers.” He stated, “In a country where opportunities are getting enlarged, this silo is turning out to be a problem… they are becoming no less than a gas chamber.” He urged members to make the youth aware of various other employment and skill opportunities available in the country.
Dhankhar also lamented the practice of boycott and rebuff by floor leaders of certain parties when called for discussions and suggestions to ensure the functioning of the house. He expressed his anguish, stating, “This Chairman, when he makes a request for honorable members for a conference in the chamber, this rebuff is not only unprecedented but a dilution of Parliamentary decorum. The fact that floor leaders virtually seek to boycott the Chairman in chamber is certainly not a healthy practice.”
Earlier, Rajya Sabha members Sudhanshu Trivedi and Swati Maliwal gave notice under Rule 267 to discuss the deaths of UPSC aspirants in a coaching center. Although Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju was ready to discuss the matter under Rule 267, the Leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, and other opposition parties disagreed. Chairman Dhankhar allowed the discussion under Rule 176, making it clear that any discussion under Rule 267 would only proceed with the consensus of the major parties in the house.
