Ludhiana, Sept. 24 -- Most coaching institutes inspected by the fire safety department in the city have been found operating without fire-safety no-objection certificates (NOCs), prompting the department to issue notices and step up inspections to ensure compliance with safety norms.

The department began surveying coaching institutes in June, with teams checking fire-safety arrangements and NOCs at establishments across the city. So far, 48 institutes in Kitchlu Nagar, Bharat Nagar, Tuition Market and other areas have been inspected.

Fire safety officer Sukhwinder Singh, who is leading the inspections, said most of the institutes checked so far did not have the mandatory NOC and lacked adequate fire-safety arrangements. "Most of the ins...