Jaipur, June 24 -- The Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) on Tuesday sealed 16 coaching institutes and libraries for failing to meet mandatory firefighting and emergency exit standards and served notices to more than 45 coaching centres over inadequate fire safety arrangements, officials said. JMC's citywide enforcement drive intensified a day after 15 people died in fire at a three-storey building fire in Lucknow. Officials checked for firefighting equipment, emergency exits and Fire No Objection Certificates (NOCs) during the inspections. Praveen Kumar, deputy commissioner (Fire), JMC, said several students in Jaipur attend coaching institutes to prepare for competitive examinations, making strict adherence to safety norms essential. "Given the large student population in the city, it is crucial to ensure compliance with safety standards to effectively deal with any emergency. We have sealed 16 coaching institutes, and the drive is still underway," he said. According to Kumar, the enforcement drive was already underway and was aimed primarily at ensuring student safety. "Our top priority is saving lives. Notices were issued to these institutes, but they failed to comply despite repeated warnings. Therefore, we were compelled to seal them," he said. He added that the sealed establishments can obtain a temporary 30-day reprieve by depositing the prescribed amount, allowing them time to complete the required fire safety arrangements and make their premises compliant. Meanwhile, Jaipur Municipal Corporation Chief Fire Officer Devendra Meena said the civic body had been conducting a broader campaign against establishments lacking fire NOCs. "Since June 4, notices have been issued to around 600 units in the municipal corporation's heritage area over fire NOCs. These include nearly 150 coaching institutes and libraries. Action is being taken against them in accordance with the rules," Meena told the media. The crackdown comes amid heightened concerns over the safety of educational institutions after the deadly blaze in Lucknow triggered fresh scrutiny of fire preparedness and emergency evacuation measures at coaching centres across the country....