DU law alumnus seeks closure of portable classrooms after ARSD College fire safety concerns

A month after a fire broke out at some portable cabins of ARSD College, reigniting concerns around the safety of these structures, an alumnus of the Faculty of Law at Delhi University (DU) has written to the university authorities seeking the immediate closure of these makeshift classrooms being used at the faculty. Advocate Umesh Kumar, an alumnus of Law Centre-I, in a representation to the vice-chancellor, the dean of the Faculty of Law and the dean of students' welfare, has flagged concerns about the condition of portable cabins and urged the university to shift classes to safer alternative spaces.

While the portable cabins at the Law Faculty are not new, several DU colleges have begun installing these temporary structures over the past year to accommodate a surge in student intake following the introduction of the four-year undergraduate programmes last year under the National Education Policy, 2020. Echoing concerns, a second-year student from the Campus Law Centre (CLC), said, "The condition of the portable cabins is bad and dangerous. Two of the rooms being used for CLC classes have AC, while the third one doesn't."

"Fire safety is, of course, a cause of concern, and now the exams are being conducted there. Many representations have been given to the administration regarding the same, but no solution has come out of it," the student added, requesting anonymity. Another student, Sneha Aggawal from Law Centre-II, concurred and said that these semi-permanent structures have become unsafe during summer. "Many colleges, including Shivaji, Dayal Singh, Ramanujan, Faculty of Law, have put up portable cabins. Though the Law Faculty has increased the fees by almost three times, classes are still being held in these portable cabins," Aggarwal added. Referring to the fire incident at ARSD College in April, Umesh Kumar said the incident exposed the "grave risk" posed by such temporary structures being used for academic purposes.

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"It is submitted that on 18.04.2026, a major fire incident occurred in the porta cabins at ARSD College, wherein the cabins were completely gutted. Fortunately, no loss of life has been reported," Kumar said in the representation to the administration. He further alleged that several portable cabins across the university, including those at the Faculty of Law, lacked adequate fire safety infrastructure, such as updated fire extinguishers, alarms, emergency exits and proper electrical safeguards.

The representation also highlighted concerns over extreme summer conditions in Delhi, stating that metallic and poorly ventilated structures become hazardous during high temperatures and increase the likelihood of fire outbreaks. Kumar further claimed that structures intended for temporary use were being used as permanent classrooms and administrative spaces. According to the representation, admissions at the Faculty of Law have increased since 2013, while infrastructure has become overburdened.

Speaking to PTI, Kumar said, "In 2024, a petition had been filed pointing out several issues with infrastructure and facilities. I was one of the petitioners." "Now, following the ARSD fire, I have filed for an urgent hearing. The hearing is set to happen on July 6," he added. Referring to an amicus curiae report in the pending writ petition, he said it had suggested shifting three portable cabin classes to alternative buildings until new infrastructure was installed.

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The representation alleged that the classrooms had inadequate seating, damaged walls and ceilings, poor ventilation and lacked proper drinking water facilities for students during summer. Among the demands raised were immediate closure of three portable cabin classrooms at the Faculty of Law, an urgent fire safety audit, strict compliance with safety norms and holding the officials accountable for permitting the use of such structures. PTI reached out to DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh and Dean of the Faculty of Law, Usha Tandon, but received no immediate response.