Beyond DUSU slogans, students vote on hostels, menstrual leave, fees and jobs

Behind the fluttering campaign pamphlets and long queues outside colleges across North Campus, the issues that followed voters into the DUSU polling booths on Friday were strikingly basic — a room they could afford, a placement after graduation, a clean washroom or the right to stay home when menstrual cramps make attending class difficult.

As Delhi University students voted, conversations across Ramjas College, Hindu College, Hansraj College, Kirori Mal College and the Faculty of Law showed that accommodation, hygiene, menstrual leave, fees, placements, internships and basic student facilities were among the concerns informing their choices. For many, particularly those who have moved to the Capital from other states and smaller towns, the election was as much about the everyday cost and difficulty of university life as it was about larger ideological contests.

A room to live

For outstation students, accommodation remains one of the most pressing problems. With limited hostel capacity, many depend on private paying-guest accommodation and rented rooms around the university, adding substantially to the cost of studying in Delhi.

“Hostel and accommodation are major concerns because not everyone can afford to stay in a private PG. Students come from different backgrounds, and many have to spend a substantial part of their family income just to live near college,” a student said.

The issue has acquired greater urgency this year following the Satya Niketan building collapse, which killed seven people, including five students. The tragedy brought the condition and safety of private student accommodation into sharper focus and pushed the issue into the DUSU campaign.

For students, therefore, the demand is no longer limited to cheaper accommodation. Safety standards, structural checks and greater availability of university hostels have become part of the conversation around how Delhi accommodates thousands of young people arriving every year to study.

Periods, hygiene matter

Women students pointed to another set of everyday concerns — menstrual leave, hygienic washrooms, clean drinking water and access to female hygiene facilities.

“Menstrual issues are not a gimmick. Cramps are not a gimmick. If a student is in severe pain, she may genuinely not be able to attend class. If menstrual leave can be provided, there is no reason to make an issue out of something so basic,” a third-year Hindu College student said.

The demand also intersects with attendance requirements. Students said rigid attendance rules could make it difficult for t