After 7 die in Satya Niketan collapse, PIL seeks hostel policy for Delhi

The PIL will be taken up on Wednesday.

On Monday, while hearing another PIL, a division bench headed by Chief Justice Upadhyaya had observed that the responsibility for the building collapse lies not only with the PG owner but also extends to DU and civic authorities, while flagging the “absolutely inadequate” number of hostels available to students.

CJ Upadhyaya had remarked that the shortage of university and government hostels was forcing students into potentially unsafe PGs and hostels, and questioned whether authorities had done enough to regulate such accommodation.

It directed the MCD to inspect all buildings housing PGs and hostels and prepare a report in a week on whether requisite permission/building byelaws were followed during construction.

The new PIL

Jakhar, in his PIL, flagged that the Satya Niketan building collapse “serves as a grave warning regarding the risks faced by thousands of students who are dependent upon privately operated accommodation in different parts of Delhi because their respective colleges do not have adequate hostel facilities”.

He requested that “where sufficient land is available within a college campus, hostel facilities may be constructed or expanded” and where individual colleges “face genuine land constraints, the authorities may develop common/cluster hostels at suitable locations catering to students of neighbouring University colleges”.

Pressing for a university-wide hostel policy, Jakhar in his plea said the authorities are “required to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the residential requirements of students across all colleges, departments and institutions of the University of Delhi”, and undertake “construction or expansion of college hostels… in a phased manner.”

He has also written to the offices of Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Sandhu, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the University Grants Commission chairman, education ministry and DU vice-chancellor on September 7, highlighting acute shortage of residential facilities for DU students.

DU’s motto of ‘residential university’

Jakhar’s PIL also highlighted that DU, established in 1922, records in its own official description that it was established as a “unitary, teaching and residential University”.

From recording 750 students at its inception, the varsity now sees approximately 1,32,435 students studying in its regular courses.

“… more than 104 years have elapsed since the establishment of the University, yet adequate institutional shelter has not been created commensurate with its present student population and geographical expansion,” the PIL noted.

Jakhar said the issue of safe institutional accommodation for students “is not confined to North Campus, South Campus or any particular college or locality”, but is rather a “University-wide problem requiring a University-wide policy response.”

According to the PIL, absence of safe institutional accommodation has a “particularly serious impact upon female students, whose families may legitimately have heightened concerns regarding security and safe residential facilities.”

Similarly “students from remote areas, economically weaker sections and socially disadvantaged backgrounds similarly face disproportionate difficulties in securing safe and affordable private accommodation.”