Today, Monday, the Ministry of Education issued a clarification after some media outlets circulated incorrect information about a fire breaking out in its office in the national capital, confirming that the incident actually occurred at the headquarters of the College of Planning and Architecture and not at the ministry’s headquarters.
The ministry said in an official statement that its office is located at Kartavia Bhavan 2 on Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road in New Delhi, while the fire occurred at the College of Planning and Architecture campus at Indraprastha Estate on Vikas Marg near ITO.
The statement said: “Some media reports incorrectly reported that a fire had occurred in the Ministry of Education office.” The Ministry added that this clarification came to prevent the spread of false information about the incident.
A fire broke out in the SPA building
According to Delhi Fire Services (DFS), a fire broke out on the second floor of the School of Planning and Architecture building near the PWD headquarters on Monday morning.
A call about the fire was received at around 9.37am, after which several fire engines were rushed to the scene. Firefighters began operations on the damaged floor shortly after arriving at the scene.
The initial response included five water tenders equipped with additional sets of breathing apparatus, a water vehicle, a breathing apparatus support vehicle, and a multi-purpose vehicle. Senior fire officials, including the divisional officer, assistant division officer and station officer, also arrived at the site to supervise the firefighting operation.
Officials said the fire was under control by approximately 11 a.m.
No injuries or damage were reported
The Ministry of Education said that the fire that broke out in the Professionals Association building was minor and was quickly brought under control.
The ministry said in its statement: “No loss of life or property was reported.”
Delhi Fire Services officials also confirmed that no casualties were reported in the incident. Authorities are now working to determine the cause of the fire. Details were not immediately available regarding the extent of damage to the building.
The Ministry confirmed that the incident was limited to the headquarters of the Sudanese Professionals Association and had nothing to do with its office in Kartavia Bhavan.
The incident comes amid scrutiny from the Ministry of Education
The clarification comes at a time when the Education Ministry and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan are facing intense scrutiny over CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system used in Class 12 board exams.
Thousands of students and parents have raised concerns about alleged discrepancies in assessment, including missing marks, answer sheet mismatches and other issues associated with the new digital assessment system. The center acknowledged “some inconsistencies” in the process and promised to take corrective action.
Pradhan recently said that the government accepts responsibility for the glitches in the OSM system and assured students that no complaint will be left unresolved. The ministry also said that leading institutions including IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras were involved in supervising the technology and review process.
The controversy also took a political turn, with Rahul Gandhi questioning the award of the OSM contract and accusing the government of failing the students. The war of words between the Congress leader and Pradhan has escalated in recent days, with the minister defending the regime while promising accountability for any lapses.
