Drishti IAS Offers ₹10 Lakh Aid to Families of Rau’s IAS Victims

Delhi, August 2, 2024: Vikas Divyakirti’s Drishti IAS coaching centre has announced financial assistance of ₹10 lakhs each to the families of three UPSC aspirants who drowned in Rau’s IAS basement library in Old Rajendra Nagar, Delhi. The victims, Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Nevin Dalwin from Kerala, died on July 27 when the illegally operating basement library flooded after heavy rain.

In addition to the three, UPSC aspirant Nilesh Rai from Laxmi Nagar also died, due to an electric shock on a flooded road. Drishti IAS’s press release stated, “We know that no amount of money can erase the pain of losing children, yet as a humble effort to express our solidarity in this hour of grief, Drishti IAS has decided to provide financial assistance of ₹10 lakh (each) to the four bereaved families.”

Drishti IAS also announced free academic support for current Rau’s IAS students, including classes and test series for general studies and optional subjects. Students can access this support starting August 5 by contacting Drishti IAS’s Karol Bagh office.

In response to the tragedy, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has sealed many such libraries and demolished illegal establishments of several other institutes. Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has proposed establishing four libraries in honor of the deceased civil services aspirants. In a letter to the MCD commissioner, Oberoi suggested that the libraries be constructed in the names of the deceased students at Rajendra Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar, Patel Nagar, and Ber Sarai. This initiative aims to honor their memory and provide a safe, legal space for future aspirants to study.