New Delhi, Sept. 8 -- One hostel bed for roughly every 28 students, that is the stark arithmetic behind Delhi's student housing crisis, now under the spotlight after the Satya Niketan building collapse claimed seven lives. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also stepped in, directing the Delhi government and UGC to work with Delhi University (DU) on expanding hostel capacity. But the shortage is not unique to DU, students at other major universities, including Jamia Millia Islamia, too face limited hostel availability, leaving many dependent on private PGs and rented flats where concerns over ageing buildings, fire safety and basic infrastructure are increasingly being raised. DU's 2024-25 annual report records more than 2.5 lakh students enrolled in conventional programmes, while more than half of its students come from outside Delhi. Against this massive student population, the university's hostel capacity is estimated at only around 9,000 beds.
In other words, even if all these beds were available to students without category or course restrictions, there would be only about one hostel bed for every 28 students based on the total conventional enrolment. The gap becomes particularly significant for the large outstation student population.
The shortage also sits uneasily with Section 33 of the Delhi University Act, 1922, which provides that students should reside in a college or hall, or under conditions prescribed by university ordinances, barring those pursuing correspondence courses.
Yet the limited hostel infrastructure means thousands have to find accommodation outside university campuses. Several DU hostels are also designated for specific categories or programmes, further narrowing access for the wider student population.
The NHRC has now asked authorities to prepare a specific, action-oriented plan for increasing accommodation. Importantly, its direction is not limited to building new hostels. It has asked officials to examine expansion, renovation, upgradation and augmentation of existing facilities, alongside the requirement for new hostels.
While, the same pressure is visible around other universities. Students at Jamia Millia Islamia and those living in neighbourhoods such as Batla House and Tughlaqabad have raised concerns about dependence on private housing. Many live in four- and five-storey buildings, some with narrow access lanes and inadequate fire-safety arrangements.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.