Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has given coaching institutes one month to fix fire safety or face action. But a ground visit to the city’s clusters of flying academies, where students pay lakhs to chase a pilot’s licence, suggests many still ignore the rules.
Under Delhi’s building bylaws, every building needs a safe way out in a fire. A single staircase is permitted only if it meets fire department norms. Educational buildings taller than 9 metres, or with ground-plus-two floors including a mezzanine, must have two staircases, and every exit must lead straight to the street. Norms also specify the need for safety equipment such as fire extinguishers.
