Amid the IAS aspirants protesting for fourth day in a row against civic authorities and ‘coaching mafia’ near the Rau’s coaching centre, many of whom are braving scorching heat with their Mains exams less than one and a half months away, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Additional Commissioner Tariq Thomas on Wednesday accepted the civic body's failure in the death of three students, stating that there are serious structural issues, which need to be addressed.

Interacting with the protesting students at UPSC coaching hub in old Rajinder Nagar, the senior civic body official said there can be no excuses for the incident and the agency should have done its duty better. Students who started their indefinite hunger strike on Tuesday ended it on Wednesday morning after their meeting with Thomas.

"We have structural issues like you said and they need to be addressed in a systematic way, that is my solution. I am accepting it’s a failure for all of us and me personally. I am not claiming it's not, it’s a failure for us as officers. I am openly saying this shouldn't have happened," he said responding to a student's grievance.

Asked on what parameters should the administration's performance be evaluated in this incident, the civic body official added, "An inquiry is taking place, let it sink in. Those accountable in the vicinity will be acted upon. I am accepting we should have done our duty better and this should not have happened. There is no excuse. There are serious structural issues, which need to be addressed. The growth in Delhi (over time) has been so fast (that it is) beyond the master plan."

A delegation of IAS aspirants also met the MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar at the agency headquarters raising their demands of closure of library in the basement, regulation of exorbitant prices of accommodation, helpline number to address student’s grievances and five crore rupees for the kin of the deceased among others.

During their meeting with Kumar, the civil services aspirants highlighted the poor safety measures at several coaching centres in the national capital, posing a threat to their lives, among other issues. Gautam, who has his mains exam in September, was also part of the delegation that met the senior MCD official stating that he is satisfied with the response of the authorities.

“We raised the issue of the closure of basement libraries, compensation should be five crores rupees, special student helpline numbers, rental model act and food regulation in the area,” he said.

“Parking issues to be resolved and electric wires to be grounded in the coming weeks were also raised. I have my main exams too but as a person who wants to enter the civil services to help get justice served, I cannot let my fellow students alone,” Bala said, who was also part of the delegation and despite falling sick due to protesting in the muggy and sunny weather is coming to raise the student’s voices.

In a statement by the MCD Commissioner, direction issued to seal the basement being illegally used for library, separate entry and exit gates for basement, building plans to be made available in public domain, encroachments above drains and footpaths to be removed, toilets in bad conditions to be improved, open hanging wires to be surveyed and portable pumps along with operators to be ready for dewatering of vulnerable points of water logging among others.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police on Wednesday removed a few "outsiders" from the protest site.

The delegation was escorted to the Civic Centre office in a police bus and were later brought back to the protest site after the meeting, officials said.

According to a police officer, over a dozen individuals were removed from the protest site as they were identified as "outsiders" and not students of any coaching institute.

The Delhi Education Minister Atishi also met protesting students at old Rajinder Nagar and asked them to give names of 10 representatives who will be part of a panel that will draft a law to regulate coaching institutes in the city.

Atishi faced slogans of "Go back", '"We want justice", but she sat with the protestors and assured them of government support for their issues.