Government to build hostels for 10,000 students studying in colleges, universities across Delhi: CM

Officials said construction will be carried out through various departments, including Health, Higher Education, and Women and Child Development. “Hostel construction was already underway or proposed at institutions including Ambedkar University, G.B. Pant Engineering College and Polytechnic, Indira Gandhi Hospital and Medical College, and Delhi Sports University. The initiative’s scope will now be widened given the growing need,” officials said.

Survey to be held

The government, according to officials, plans to extend hostel facilities to students studying in any college or university in Delhi, not just government institutions. A survey will be conducted to identify colleges with sufficient space for hostel construction, and the process will be expedited once locations are identified. Officials said land will also be acquired, if necessary.

The hostels will be built under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, Gupta said, to speed up construction while ensuring maintenance and facilities. “The government’s responsibility would not end with the construction of hostels,” she said, adding that it would also ensure students’ safety, comfort and essential needs.

The government said a draft hostel policy is also being prepared. It, however, did not provide a timeline for the completion of these projects.

First meeting of high-powered panel

Two portals will also be developed within 15 days — one to map students’ data and another for PG owners to register their facilities and detail building age, structure size, and fire safety measures. This was decided on Tuesday at the first meeting of a high-powered committee on student accommodation and safety, formed by Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu to examine the shortage, safety standards and regulation of student housing.

Following the meeting, officials said that the Delhi Development Authority and the Urban Development department will identify suitable land parcels to build new hostels.

The 20-member committee, chaired by Education and Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood, had to give policy direction, ensure coordination among agencies, and submit recommendations within 60 days.

Members include the Chief Secretary; Delhi Police Commissioner; MCD Commissioner; NDMC Chairperson; DDA Vice-Chairperson; secretaries of the Home, Revenue, Health, Urban Development, Law and PWD departments; the Chief Fire Officer, and vice-chancellors of DU, GGSIPU, Ambedkar University Delhi, NSUT and DTU.

The committee will address issues in Delhi like the hostel demand-supply gap, higher Floor Area Ratio permissions, repurposing under-used government land such as vacant housing in Narela, a mandatory PG registration framework and database, rent regulation, structural and fire-safety audits, and a digital grievance dashboard.