By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
New Delhi, September 15: Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta has announced an ambitious plan to build hostels for 10,000 students pursuing higher education across the national capital, with the government placing particular emphasis on safe, affordable accommodation, better facilities and long-term maintenance.
The Chief Minister said the hostels would be developed through various government departments, with land to be acquired wherever required. The initiative will cover students studying in colleges and universities across Delhi, expanding beyond institutions directly run by the Delhi Government.
“Delhi is not only the national capital but also a major education hub,” the Chief Minister said, noting that students from different parts of the country come to the city for higher education. For many of them, finding safe and affordable accommodation after securing admission remains a major challenge.
Focus on Students Across Delhi
The Delhi Government is working towards a permanent solution to the accommodation challenge faced by students. A survey will be conducted to identify colleges with adequate space for hostel construction, following which projects will be expedited at suitable locations.
The initiative is also expected to benefit students enrolled in colleges and universities beyond Delhi Government institutions. The government is preparing a draft hostel policy while holding discussions with concerned departments to identify students’ requirements and determine the facilities that should be provided.
PPP Model to Strengthen Facilities and Maintenance
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said hostel projects would also be developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, which is intended to accelerate construction while ensuring proper maintenance and improved facilities.
She stressed that the government’s responsibility would not end with construction. Student safety, comfort and essential requirements would remain important components of the initiative.
Hostel construction is already under way or has been proposed at several institutions, including Ambedkar University, Dhirpur; G.B. Pant Engineering College and Polytechnic; Indira Gandhi Hospital and Medical College; and Delhi Sports University.
The Health Department, Higher Education Department and Women and Child Development Department, among other departments, will participate in the initiative. Meetings are being held to identify suitable sites and coordinate the construction programme.
‘Students Should Focus on Studies and Dreams’
CM Rekha Gupta said the government’s objective was to create accommodation where parents sending their children to Delhi from other states could feel assured about their safety and well-being.
Students, she said, should not have to remain concerned about where they would live, the quality of their surroundings or basic arrangements such as food. Instead, they should have a safe and comfortable environment in which to concentrate on their studies, future and aspirations.
The Chief Minister said every student arriving in Delhi carried the hopes of their family as well as dreams for their own future. Providing an enabling educational environment and reducing accommodation-related concerns was, she said, an important responsibility of the Delhi Government.
With the proposed expansion of hostel facilities and the involvement of multiple departments, the initiative seeks to address a key practical challenge confronting students who come to the capital for higher education.
