Politics · India Bureau
Delhi HC orders government response on hostel shortage after building collapse
The Delhi High Court has sought replies from the Centre, Delhi government and Delhi University on addressing the critical shortage of hostel accommodation for students at the university. The directive follows a public interest petition filed after a private paying guest building collapsed in Satya Niketan, killing seven people.
LSN India ·
A bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia issued notice to all three respondents on Wednesday, directing them to file detailed responses to the petition. The court has scheduled the next hearing for September 25.
The public interest litigation was filed by National Students' Union of India (NSUI) president Vinod Jakhar, highlighting the longstanding crisis of insufficient affordable and adequate institutional hostel accommodation for Delhi University students. The petition underscores how many students are forced to rely on private paying guest facilities due to the shortage of official hostel spaces.
The petition gains urgency following the September 6 collapse of a residential building in Satya Niketan that was being used as informal student accommodation. The incident claimed seven lives and left several others injured, bringing into sharp focus the risks students face when forced to seek housing in unregulated private accommodations.
The petition has been tagged with another similar matter already pending before the court, suggesting a pattern of complaints regarding student housing in the national capital. The case highlights the gap between the growing student population at Delhi University and available institutional accommodation facilities.