DU VC meets principals to discuss Satya Niketan building collapse, urges colleges to expand hostels

University of Delhi Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh has expressed deep condolences over the deaths of DU students in the collapse of a five-storey PG hostel building near the university’s South Campus in Satya Niketan on September 6. He also urged college principals to review student accommodation and explore plans to construct new hostels.

Yogesh Singh convened a meeting of DU college principals on Monday to discuss the incident. A two-minute silence was observed at the meeting in memory of the students who lost their lives.

“The loss of students’ lives is a massive blow to DU. This incident has shaken everyone,” Singh said. He added that while some students lost their lives, others sustained serious injuries in the accident.

The Vice-Chancellor extended his condolences to the families affected by the tragedy and said that the University of Delhi would provide all possible assistance to the victims.

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DU VC asks colleges to review hostel facilities

Following the building collapse incident, Yogesh Singh called upon principals to take measures to prevent such tragedies in the future. He asked colleges to review the residential facilities available to their students and assess whether additional accommodation is required.

He also urged colleges to expedite existing hostel construction and under-construction projects so that the facilities can be made available to students at the earliest.

The vice-chancellor further asked principals to examine the feasibility of constructing new hostels on their respective campuses. Where construction is possible, colleges have been asked to prepare plans promptly.

DU colleges asked to explore government schemes

The VC advised principals to assess the availability of space, relevant government schemes and other requirements before initiating new hostel projects. He stressed that the objective should be to provide residential facilities to the maximum possible number of students.

The Vice-Chancellor reiterated that the University of Delhi is prepared to extend all possible assistance to colleges in strengthening student accommodation facilities.

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Delhi HC raises concerns over student safety in PGs, hostels

The Delhi High Court has also raised serious concerns over the safety of students staying in paying guest (PG) accommodations and hostels in the city. The court directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to conduct an audit of PGs and hostels within one week and sought details on the regulatory framework governing such accommodations.

It said that responsibility for students’ safety rests not only with building owners but also with the concerned authorities, observing that such incidents could potentially have been avoided if statutory duties had been properly discharged.

The court also directed the University of Delhi to provide details of outstation students and available hostel facilities while seeking information on valid building permissions and any lapses by the authorities.