Once the nerve centre for India’s UPSC aspirants, Old Rajinder Nagar no longer echoes with the same energy. A year after a tragic flooding incident claimed the lives of three civil services aspirants in a basement library run by Rau’s IAS Study Circle, the area is undergoing a shift. Student footfall is declining. Libraries are half-empty. And bookstores are either shuttering their stores or finding it hard to make ends meet. The changing landscape “There have been significant changes here,” says 29-year-old UPSC aspirant Ankit Singh Chauhan. “The number of students staying in Old Rajinder Nagar has certainly gone down. You’ll still find coaching institutes, but many are struggling to survive. Jab bachche hi nahi aayenge toh coaching centres kaise chalenge ( If students don’t come, how will the coaching centres run)?” Chauhan, who also mentors at a coaching centre, notes that libraries, once more crowded than classrooms, are now largely empty. Increasingly, aspirants are choosing to prepare online from their hometowns, cutting costs and avoiding risks. Fellow aspirant Madhavi Upadhyay, who works at a premium coaching center, echoes this sentiment. “Students aren’t coming in like before. When you factor in library fees along with high rent for PG accommodations, the cost becomes unaffordable for many.” Jatin Verma, founder of JV's IAS, says the 2024 incident reshaped the coaching ecosystem. “It led to a sharp drop in offline enrolments as safety concerns among parents grew,” he says. “Many students have now shifted to online or hybrid modes of learning, a major shift from the earlier preference for offline coaching due to its structured environment.” The shift has forced coaching centres to adapt. “Those with resources moved to hybrid formats. Others, unable to cope with high rents and falling admissions, have gone fully digital,” says Verma. Tarun Kumar Samanta, 45, who runs a PG in the area, confirms the decline. “Earlier, I used to get around 10 enquiries a day for rooms on rent. Now, it's down to a maximum of five,” he says. The vanishing ‘underground’ libraries The tragedy also laid bare the unsafe and often illegal underground libraries in Old Rajinder Nagar and neighbouring areas such as Patel Nagar, Shadipur, and Karol Bagh. These makeshift study centres offered air-conditioned personal cubicles, lockers, and Wi-Fi access — facilities aspirants were willing to pay for. But no longer. “You won’t find underground libraries easily anymore,” says Chauhan. “Basements have been converted into gyms, yoga centres, or warehouses.” While some libraries have shifted to upper floors, it comes at a cost. Rents on first and second floors are often double or triple that of basements, leading to hiked membership fees. “Not everyone can afford it,” he says. Even on upper floors, safety remains a concern. “Libraries that moved to the upper floors still fail to meet fire safety standards, especially regarding exits and overall safety,” says Divya Pandey, a four-time UPSC aspirant and now an evaluator at a coaching institute. Cost of Living For many, living in Old Rajinder Nagar has become financially untenable. Despite fewer students, rents remain high. Nishee Verma, a 28-year-old from Chhattisgarh, pays Rs 15,000 per month for a PG room near the site of the 2024 tragedy. With electricity, food, and study materials, her monthly expenses are between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000. “In the last two years, accommodation rents for aspirants have gone up by more than 50%,” says 29-year-old aspirant Rahul Gupta, who lives in South Patel Nagar. Local businesses hit hard The impact extends beyond students. Local businesses that once thrived on student footfall are now struggling to stay open. Manish Kumar, 45, who ran a stationery and photocopy shop on Bada Bazar Road since 2016, has already relocated. “We were trying to recover after Covid, but the library incident disrupted everything. The students just aren’t here anymore. They’ve either gone back home to study online or moved to more affordable areas,” he says, adding that daily sales have plummeted from Rs 25,000-30,000 to under Rs 2,000. “We hoped things would improve, but they haven’t. I’ll wait until the next Prelims in 2026 — after that, I might leave the area entirely.” Mahesh Kumar, 47, who owns a bookstore in Old Rajinder Nagar, says his sales have plunged 50 per cent. “Students are finding online coaching more affordable. Why would they pay such high fees for traditional classroom programmes?” Kumar says the pandemic prepared him for a future with fewer walk-in customers. “Now, students often contact me from their hometowns, and we courier the materials to them.” Infrastructure improvement, but gaps remain A year later, some progress has been made. A water pump has been installed near the site of the incident to prevent flooding. “This is a positive step,” says Upadhyay. Chauhan agrees. “There is no waterlogging like there used to be in earlier years.” However, safety issues remain. Hanging live wires everywhere during the monsoon season is a major concern, says UPSC mentor Shivam Arya. “The authorities have fixed drainage along Bada Bazar Road, but what about Shadipur and Patel Nagar, where most aspirants live?” Rahul Gupta concurs. “Old Rajinder Nagar has seen some drainage improvements, but Patel Nagar hasn’t.” The struggle to retain identity Today, Old Rajinder Nagar finds itself at a crossroads. With rising costs, safety concerns, and the option of online learning, many aspirants are turning away. “Old Rajinder Nagar is still surviving because some premium institutes remain here,” says Manish. “They give us hope, but not enough to promise a flourishing business like it used to be.” Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on UPSC section of The Indian Express on Instagram and X. For your queries and suggestions write at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com.
