The Delhi government will develop hostel facilities for 10,000 students as it moves to address the shortage of safe and affordable accommodation brought into sharp focus by the Satya Niketan building collapse that killed seven people, including five students. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Tuesday that meetings had been held with the departments concerned and locations were being identified for the proposed facilities, which would accommodate both male and female students studying at colleges and universities across the Capital.
The announcement followed growing demands for more government-backed student accommodation after the collapse of a five-storeyed paying guest facility in Satya Niketan, close to Delhi University's South Campus. Large numbers of students arriving in the Capital every year are dependent on privately operated PGs because institutional hostel capacity remains inadequate. Many pay high rents while living in buildings with limited amenities and, in some cases, questionable structural safety. Gupta said the government wanted to create hostels where parents could leave their children with peace of mind and students could concentrate on their studies without worrying about accommodation and security.
Sites being identified
According to the Chief Minister's Office, hostel construction is either underway or proposed at several institutions, including Ambedkar University, Dhirpur, GB Pant Engineering College and Polytechnic, Indira Gandhi Hospital and Medical College, and Delhi Sports University. Departments including Health, Higher Education and Women and Child Development will also participate in the programme.
The government will survey colleges that have adequate space available for hostel construction and examine additional locations that could accommodate new facilities. Gupta said Delhi could not develop further as a major education hub without addressing the residential requirements of students who arrive from across the country. The proposed 10,000-bed expansion is intended to improve safety and security while providing accommodation at economical rates.
PPP route planned
Apart from government-built facilities, Delhi plans to use the public-private partnership model to accelerate hostel construction. Gupta said the PPP route would allow projects to be completed faster while placing greater emphasis on amenities, maintenance and the continued provision of better facilities for residents. The government is simultaneously working on a broader policy governing student accommodation in the city.
The hostels will not be restricted to students of institutions where they are constructed. According to Gupta, students enrolled in any college or university in Delhi will be able to use the proposed accommodation, widening their potential reach beyond campuses that have their own residential facilities.
Panel studies shortage
The Satya Niketan tragedy has also prompted a wider government examination of Delhi's student housing system. Soon after the collapse, a high-level meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and attended by the chief minister discussed the shortage of safe accommodation. Sandhu subsequently directed that a committee headed by Education Minister Ashish Sood prepare a policy to address the issue.
An 18-member committee has since been constituted with the Lieutenant Governor's approval to assess the gap between demand and supply of student accommodation and examine land availability for new hostels. The LG has also directed officials to explore whether vacant government land and buildings can be utilised for student housing.
The government's 10,000-student plan represents an attempt to reduce Delhi's dependence on an extensive private PG market that has grown around major educational institutions. The challenge will now be to translate the announcement into sufficient, affordable beds quickly while ensuring that new facilities meet the safety and maintenance standards whose absence became tragically apparent at Satya Niketan.