DU clears ₹5,889-crore hostel plan after Satya Niketan tragedy: Can it ease the university’s accommodation crisis?

Delhi University’s Executive Council has approved hostel projects worth ₹5,889 crore, proposing new residential facilities and the reconstruction of two existing hostels to expand accommodation for students amid a persistent shortage of affordable housing.

The approvals, cleared at an emergency meeting on Tuesday, include ₹4,027 crore for new hostels expected to accommodate 15,758 students and ₹1,862 crore for reconstructing two existing hostels, with a proposed capacity of 6,137 students, Hindustan Times reported.

The university said the projects would collectively provide accommodation for 21,895 students. However, the proposals will need approval from the Union Ministry of Education for grant-in-aid before they can move forward.

The fresh approvals come as several previously announced hostel projects remain delayed due to funding constraints and construction challenges, raising questions about how quickly the proposed capacity can be added.

What has DU approved?

Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh said the proposals had been cleared by the university’s highest statutory decision-making body and would now be forwarded to the Union Ministry of Education for approval.

The new construction plan includes two additional hostel blocks for the Institute of Eminence hostels at the university’s Dhaka Complex, separate boys’ and girls’ hostels at Veer Savarkar College in Roshanpura, Najafgarh, and hostels for men and women at DU’s West Campus in Dwarka and Najafgarh, and East Campus in Surajmal Vihar, Kardardooma.

The university is also planning to reconstruct Jubilee Hall and the Postgraduate Men’s Hostel to increase their capacity.

Two existing hostels to be rebuilt

Jubilee Hall, established in 1947, currently accommodates 212 students. Under the reconstruction plan, it is proposed to house 3,795 students.

The Postgraduate Men’s Hostel, built in 1975 and currently accommodating 100 students, is proposed to have a capacity for 2,337 students after redevelopment.

“The university’s earlier hostels were built differently from the conditions expected in the future; therefore, planning is being done with the next 100 years in view,” Singh said, adding that the names of existing hostels would remain unchanged after reconstruction.

Earlier hostel projects still face delays

The new approvals come as DU continues to face delays in implementing previously announced residential projects.

Two projects at the Dhaka Complex — a Girls’ Hostel/Studio Apartment Complex estimated to cost ₹233.35 crore and a Hostel-cum-Residential Block pegged at ₹318 crore — remain pending.

A university official told HT that both projects were expected to be completed by December 2028.

The Nirbhaya Residential Accommodation Project, also located at the Dhaka Complex, has seen its estimated cost increase from ₹272 crore to ₹400 crore. Funding from the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development is yet to be released, the official said.

“We have made several attempts to reach out to the women and child development minister, but the funds are yet to be released,” a senior university official told HT on condition of anonymity.

Can the plan ease DU’s accommodation shortage?

Delhi University has more than 251,000 students, including around 71,600 undergraduate students admitted in recent years, while roughly half of its students come from outside Delhi, according to reports.

Before the latest proposal, the university’s official hostel infrastructure across its colleges and departments offered around 7,224 beds — approximately 3,688 in undergraduate college hostels and 3,536 in postgraduate university hostels, as per reports.

The proposed capacity of 21,895 students would significantly expand this infrastructure if all the projects are completed. However, these are planned seats, not accommodation currently available to students.

Even if the entire proposed capacity is delivered, many students from outside Delhi are likely to continue relying on private paying guest (PG) facilities and rented accommodation.

Safety concerns have also drawn attention to the conditions in which students live outside university hostels.

On September 6, a five-storey building in Delhi’s Satya Niketan neighbourhood reportedly collapsed, killing seven people and leaving several others critically injured.

The 40- to 50-year-old building, locally known as “Hostel Daze”, was reportedly being used as a private boys’ PG accommodation and housed students because of its proximity to DU’s South Campus.

The incident has underscored the importance of safe and affordable student housing, although the extent to which it influenced the university’s latest decisions has not been established.

About the Author

Bhanu Pratap is a journalist who reports and writes on foreign affairs, India’s foreign policy, geopolitics and strategic affairs. He closely follows diplomatic developments in New Delhi and has a keen interest in defence and national security.<br> <br> Bhanu also focuses on in-depth, interview-based reports and regularly speaking with experts and policymakers to bring perspectives and context to major developments around the world.<br> <br> He is also interested in stories with strong humanitarian angles.<br><br> One such report examined the cases of Indian nationals who were allegedly recruited and forced into Russia’s war against Ukraine. While reporting the story, Bhanu spoke to the families of those affected and documented their experiences. The report was later taken into account by the United Nations in its findings on human rights violations linked to the war in Ukraine.<br> <br> For Bhanu, the zeal to produce meaningful and impactful journalism remains at the heart of his work.<br> <br>He has previously worked with Firstpost, NDTV, Newslaundry and Republic.<br><br> Bhanu studied at the Delhi School of Journalism, University of Delhi. He initially chose science with plans to pursue engineering, influenced by conventional expectations, but fate had other plans and eventually led him to journalism.<br><br> Beyond the newsroom, Bhanu enjoys exploring culture and history and often spends his days off on heritage walks. He is also passionate about travelling, biking and listening to folk music.<br> <br>For tips, reviews and suggestions, you can reach him at bhanu.pratap@htdigital.in.