New Delhi: Days after a five-storey student accommodation in Delhi's Satya Niketan collapsed, killing seven people, Delhi University is set to double its hostel capacity, taking the combined number of beds at the university and its colleges to 12,754.
DU currently has 3,422 hostel seats at the university level. It plans to add 3,922 seats, taking the figure to 7,344. Across its colleges, another 1,622 seats will be added to the existing 3,788, taking the total to 5,410.Among the major projects is a new 1,000-seat women's hostel, named 'Nirbhaya Residential Accommodation'. The facility is part of DU's ongoing expansion of residential infrastructure and will significantly increase dedicated hostel accommodation for women students.
A 1,450-seat Institute of Eminence hostel at DU's Dhaka Complex is also nearing completion, while a 1,050-seat studio apartment complex is under construction. Several other hostel projects are underway, with more expected to be taken up shortly.
The expansion comes as the shortage of institutional accommodation has again come under scrutiny following the Satya Niketan collapse. The building, located close to DU's South Campus, housed a private PG accommodation largely used by students. Seven people were killed in the September 6 collapse, according to officials. At least 12 people were rescued from the rubble.
Satya Niketan is one of several neighbourhoods around DU campuses where students, particularly those from outside Delhi, rely heavily on private PGs because university accommodation is limited. In South Campus, areas around colleges such as Sri Venkateswara College, Motilal Nehru College, Aryabhatta College and Ram Lal Anand College have a substantial student-rental ecosystem. In North Campus, Mukherjee Nagar and Hudson Lane are similarly important hubs for student accommodation.DU has more than 2.5 lakh students, but its existing hostel capacity has been estimated at around 9,000 beds, leaving a large number of students dependent on private accommodation.
The accommodation gap also was taken up at the Delhi High Court, on Wednesday when the court issued notice to the Centre, Delhi government and DU on a PIL seeking a time-bound policy for developing hostel facilities and asking that hostel accommodation be provided across DU colleges. The matter is scheduled to be heard on September 25 along with another plea seeking regulation of PG and hostel facilities in Delhi.DU has asked principals of its colleges to review existing residential facilities, expedite construction of hostels already underway and identify possibilities for new hostels. Colleges have been asked to assess available space, government schemes and other requirements before preparing proposals.
The university said its hostel expansion over the past four to five years will more than double its overall capacity. It also plans to submit several additional hostel projects to the government.
