JAMMU, Jun 24: The tragic fire at a coaching centre in Aliganj, Lucknow, which claimed the lives of 15 students, has once again exposed glaring safety lapses in educational and public institutions across the country. Reacting to the incident, decorated Army veteran and social commentator Col RK Sharma, KC, SC, SM (Retd.) urged policymakers to introduce stringent accountability measures to prevent recurring tragedies caused by negligence.
In a strongly worded statement titled “The Bond of Life: From Uphaar to Aliganj, Youth Keep Paying for Negligence,” Col Sharma observed that India has witnessed a disturbing pattern of preventable disasters over the past three decades. Drawing parallels with the 1997 Uphaar Cinema fire in Delhi, the 2004 Kumbakonam school tragedy, the 2019 Surat coaching centre fire, and the 2023 Mukherjee Nagar incident, he said that the common factors in all such cases were inadequate safety measures, blocked escape routes, and regulatory failures.“The cities may change, but the script remains the same. It is always the youth who pay the ultimate price for institutional negligence,” he remarked.
Col Sharma highlighted that thousands of coaching centres, hostels, hospitals, libraries, and tuition institutes continue to operate from converted residential buildings, basements, and commercial complexes without adequate fire safety infrastructure. He noted that institutions often prioritize profits over precaution, treating fire safety compliance, emergency exits, and ventilation systems as avoidable expenses.
Expressing concern over the concentration of students and young professionals in such high-risk facilities, he said that many victims place their trust in institutions without ever being informed about basic safety standards. “Parents pay fees believing their children are entering safe environments, but many of these buildings are accidents waiting to happen,” he said.
To address the issue, Col Sharma proposed the introduction of a mandatory “Safety Accountability Bond” to be signed by every coaching institute, hospital, hostel, paying guest accommodation, library, and tuition centre at the time of admission or registration. Under the proposal, institutions would be legally obligated to provide compensation of Rs 50 lakh to victims or their families in cases of death or permanent disability resulting from negligence related to fire, structural failure, or safety violations.According to him, such a mechanism would create a strong financial deterrent against safety violations, compel institutions to obtain comprehensive insurance coverage, and provide affected families with enforceable legal rights rather than mere assurances after disasters occur.
He also recommended a series of immediate reforms, including a ban on basement operations for institutions with high occupancy, mandatory public display of fire safety clearances and No Objection Certificates (NOCs), criminal prosecution in cases involving locked exits or blocked escape routes, and quarterly third-party safety audits by certified agencies.“From Uphaar’s locked doors in 1997 to Aliganj’s locked terrace in 2026, India has spent nearly three decades mourning avoidable deaths. The next tragedy is already waiting in another unsafe building unless accountability becomes non-negotiable,” Col Sharma cautioned.
Calling for urgent national action, he emphasized that the proposed bond is not merely about compensation but about creating a culture where institutions understand that safeguarding lives is their foremost responsibility. “If an institution accepts fees to shape a life, it must also be prepared to answer for the consequences if that life is lost due to negligence,” he said.Col Sharma expressed hope that the Aliganj tragedy would serve as a turning point in strengthening safety standards nationwide and ensuring that no more young lives are lost to preventable disasters.