New Delhi, Sept. 16 -- The Delhi government will build hostels to provide accommodation to 10,000 students studying in colleges and universities in the Capital, chief minister Rekha Gupta announced on Tuesday, as a new high-powered committee began work on addressing the shortage of student housing and regulating private paying guest (PG) facilities. Gupta said hostels would be constructed through various government departments, with land acquired wherever necessary. The facilities will cater to both male and female students, while the government is also exploring the public-private partnership (PPP) model to expedite construction and ensure maintenance. "Students should not have to worry about where they will stay, what the living environment will be like or how food arrangements will be made. They should have access to a safe and comfortable environment so that they can fully focus on their studies, their future and their dreams," Gupta said. The announcement comes after the collapse of a multi-storey PG accommodation building in Satya Niketan, which killed seven people, including five students. Gupta said Delhi attracts students from across the country, and arranging safe and affordable accommodation after securing admission remained a major challenge for many. The government plans to survey colleges and universities with adequate space for hostel construction and identify suitable locations. Hostel projects are already under way or have been proposed at institutions including Ambedkar University Delhi in Dhirpur, GB Pant Engineering College and Polytechnic, Indira Gandhi Hospital and College, and Delhi Sports University, the government said. The health, higher education, and women and child development departments, among others, will be involved in the initiative. The move coincided with the first meeting of the 20-member High-Powered Committee on Student Accommodation and Safety, chaired by Delhi education minister Ashish Sood. The committee has been tasked with submitting its recommendations within 60 days. At its first meeting, the panel decided to develop a central portal within 15 days to map student data across universities and educational institutions in Delhi. A separate portal will be created within the same period for PG operators to register their properties. "DDA and urban development department will identify land parcels for new hostels. The committee will also work on a regulatory framework for PG accommodation, including mandatory registration, a central database, among others," Sood said....