Pune civic body to crack down on illegal study hubs for competitive exams

The students stay in private hostels or as paying guests and study in private study rooms while managing their food from eateries, hotels and lunch homes. “There is no exact number of students staying in Pune to prepare for competitive examinations but they must be around a lakh. Most of them live in the heart of the city,” said a PMC officer.

This has led to many illegal study room, hostels and eateries coming up in the city, he said adding, “The citizens of Pune face a lot of inconvenience due to these students as they throng the streets during night, create nuisance and has led to illegal eateries coming up alongside streets.”

In the recent past, the city police had warned action against the students after local citizens had complained about the inconvenience caused to them due to bursting of crackers, use of gulal and processions by students clearing competitive exams. They had also come under criticism for contributing to the noise and chaos during the Ganesh festival procession every year. Last week, a student preparing for a competitive exam was found dead in a paying guest facility in Navi Peth.

“It has been decided to take action in seven days against study libraries operating illegally in the parking of residential buildings,” said additional municipal commissioner Prithviraj B P.

The PMC will soon prepare rules and regulations for study libraries and paying guests facilities that exist in the city, he said the civic administration will undertake a survey to identify illegal study libraries and paying guests in the city to take action against them.

There will be action taken on illegal hawkers and carts around the study libraries, said additional municipal commissioner.

The PMC will also hold meetings with city Police to check the nuisance caused due to the student population residing for preparing competitive examinations in the city, he added.