The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has welcomed the Delhi Government’s decision to construct hostels with a capacity of 10,000 students, describing it as a significant step towards addressing the accommodation needs of students in the national capital.
Delhi is a major higher education hub and attracts students from different parts of the country. With many students struggling to find safe and affordable accommodation, the availability of hostels and paying guest facilities has remained a key concern. ABVP said it has consistently raised the demand for increasing hostel capacity and improving residential facilities for students in Delhi.
The student organisation, however, stressed that the proposed hostels must meet all prescribed safety requirements. It said the facilities should strictly comply with norms related to fire safety, emergency evacuation, adequate ventilation, sanitation, lighting and other essential safety measures.
ABVP Highlights Need For Safe Student Accommodation
ABVP said the importance of safety standards in student accommodation came into sharper focus after the Satya Niketan incident. The organisation said the new hostels should provide students with a secure and dignified living environment.
ABVP Delhi State Secretary Sarthak Sharma said providing adequate and safe hostel facilities has been a long-standing demand of the organisation.
“Increasing the number of hostels and ensuring safe and better residential facilities for students was also an important commitment in ABVP’s manifesto for the upcoming DUSU elections,” Sharma said.
Welcoming the government’s decision, Sharma said the proposed hostel capacity could help address the long-standing accommodation shortage faced by students coming to Delhi for higher education.
He also urged the Delhi Government to implement the project at the earliest and ensure that safety standards are not compromised during construction and operation of the facilities.
According to ABVP, hostel expansion should go beyond simply increasing the number of available beds. The organisation has called for residential facilities that meet basic requirements of safety, sanitation, ventilation and accessibility.
The decision comes ahead of the Delhi University Students’ Union elections, with student accommodation and campus-related facilities expected to remain important issues among students.
ABVP said it hopes the hostel project is implemented at the earliest and provides students coming to Delhi with safe, affordable and better accommodation.