Overnight protest by DU women's hostel residents leads to extension, restoration assurances

NEW DELHI: A late-night sit-in protest by women students residing at the University Hostel for Women (UHW) of Delhi University (DU) led to success on Friday after the hostel administration agreed to extend the residency deadline till June 30 and assured restoration of basic amenities.

The protest held on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, was sparked by issues related to drinking water shortage, non functional air conditioners, and concerns over hotel residency rules, students said.

A member from the UHW Residents' Association said that several final year students are preparing for NET examinations scheduled for the end of June, while Delhi University semester examinations are also underway.

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"Despite paying hostel fees till June, students were told they would have to pay Rs 450 per day if they stayed beyond seven days after examinations ," the student said. The member added that a protest had earlier been held on May 16 over the same issues, including inadequate drinking water and malfunctioning air conditioners in the mess.

"We were verbally assured that the problems would be resolved within seven days, but there was no progress," the student said. Another hostel resident, Anshika Kumari, a PhD student in DU's Hindi department, said students had been facing irregular water supply, poor-quality drinking water, and insufficient seating in the reading room for months.

"It is peak summer and the mess ACs are still not functioning," she said. The protest, which began around 9.30 pm on Thursday, continued till early Friday morning, with students demanding a written assurance from the administration.

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"We refused to leave until we received the order. Around 3.30 am, we finally had written assurance," another student said on the condition of anonymity. According to the official notice, signed by the resident tutor and warden, final-year students will be allowed to stay as regular residents till June 30, 2026.

The notice also stated that other issues raised by hostel residents, including adding chairs to the reading room and arranging coolers in the mess, were under serious consideration and would be addressed without delay.

Students said that by Friday morning, additional chairs had been put in the reading room and two working coolers had been installed in the mess until air conditioners are repaired. Meanwhile, the All India Students' Association (AISA), in a statement, praised the protesting students and described the demonstration as "a blueprint of defiance for the entire campus".