Uttar Pradesh government has launched a massive, statewide crackdown on coaching institutes flouting regulatory guidelines and fire safety norms. Joint enforcement teams—comprising the local police, fire department, municipal corporations, and regional development authorities—have moved swiftly across major educational hubs, resulting in more than 100 institutes being sealed or penalized.

The intense enforcement action follows a tragic fire at a commercial complex in Lucknow’s Aliganj area on June 22, 2026, which claimed 15 lives, mostly students and young professionals.

1. Ground Zero: The Scope of the Crackdown

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued strict directives to state departments to execute rigorous safety audits of all educational and commercial facilities. The most severe crackdowns hit the state’s largest coaching dense-zones:

  • Kanpur (Kakadeo Hub): Over 46 coaching institutes have been sealed in the city’s massive Kakadeo district alone. High-profile national and local brands—including Physics Wallah, Vidyapeeth, Workspace, and Sanjeev Rathore Chemistry—were among those locked down by the Kanpur Development Authority (KDA).
  • Prayagraj (Civil Lines): Out of 93 officially registered centers, an administrative audit shockingly revealed that only 16 possessed a valid Fire Department No Objection Certificate (NOC). Prominent centers, including Khan Global Studies, were sealed for structural non-compliance.
  • Varanasi, Gorakhpur, & Noida: The Varanasi Development Authority sealed over eight institutes for operating commercial ventures in buildings lacking approved architectural blueprints. In Gorakhpur, multiple operator networks abruptly shut down operations and went into hiding to evade joint inspection squads.
                           ┌──► Total Across UP: Over 100 institutes faced immediate action
                           │
[Statewide Enforcements] ──┼──► Kanpur (Kakadeo): 46 institutes sealed (including Physics Wallah, Vidyapeeth)
                           │
                           └──► Prayagraj Audit: Only 16 out of 93 registered centers hold a valid Fire NOC

2. Key Violations Triggering Immediate Sealing

Inspectors are executing a strict, zero-tolerance policy against specific, structural “death traps” that mirror the conditions of the Lucknow tragedy:

  • Illegal Basement Conversions: Chief Minister Adityanath reiterated that basements approved solely for parking or storage cannot be legally converted into overcrowded classrooms. Many sealed units were found packing hundreds of students underground with zero ventilation.
  • Blocked or Absent Flammable Exits: Multiple buildings had their designated emergency exits completely blocked, narrow staircases choked with debris, or classrooms partitioned using highly flammable plywood.
  • Expired Protocols: Dozens of centers were flagged for having completely expired fire extinguishers, missing water sprinklers, and lacking the mandated secondary exit point for rapid evacuation.

The Structural Cleanup: Beyond the coaching centers, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the initial Lucknow fire has already suspended six Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) officials for systemic negligence, and arrested four individuals, including the illegal building’s owner, on charges of culpable homicide.

3. Enforcement of the 2002 Regulation Act

To ensure this crackdown doesn’t fade away like past administrative checks, the UP Higher Education Department has ordered a comprehensive, district-by-district registry mapping. All District Magistrates (DMs) must systematically identify unregistered setups and hold them strictly accountable under the Uttar Pradesh Coaching Regulation Act, 2002.

Moving forward, any center found operating without active structural verification, explicit commercial land-use permissions, and up-to-date electrical safety parameters will face permanent closure and criminal liabilities.