The University of Delhi (DU) considered hostel construction and redevelopment proposals worth around Rs 8,000 crore at its Executive Council meeting on October 13. The projects aim to accommodate more than 30,000 students.
The proposals include new hostels at the Dhaka Complex, Najafgarh and Surajmal Vihar campuses, along with the reconstruction of three existing hostels in North Campus. The university's Finance Committee has recommended that the projects be placed before the Executive Council for approval. If cleared, they will be sent to the respective ministries for funding and other necessary approvals.
The proposals come amid shortage of university accommodation following the September 6 collapse of a five-storey paying guest building in Satya Niketan, which killed seven people, including five DU students, and injured 12 others.
How many students will the new hostels accommodate?
The university has proposed new hostels with a combined capacity of 20,594 residents at an estimated cost of Rs 5,157 crore. These will be developed at the Dhaka Complex, Najafgarh and Surajmal Vihar campuses.
Another proposal, estimated at Rs 2,829.74 crore, involves demolishing and rebuilding three existing hostels, adding accommodation for more than 9,000 students. Together, the new construction and redevelopment projects would provide accommodation for more than 30,000 students.
What are the major hostel projects?
The Dhaka Complex accounts for the largest share of the proposed new accommodation. Two Y-shaped hostel buildings, one for male students and the other for female students, are proposed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,130 crore each. Each building will have a capacity of 4,836 residents and is planned as a 32-storey structure, including two basement levels.
The complex will also have dedicated accommodation for working women, with two proposed facilities that can house 1,674 residents each and are estimated to cost Rs 400 crore apiece. An undergraduate hostel comprising E, F and G blocks, with capacity for 3,162 students, is proposed at Rs 678 crore.
At Surajmal Vihar in Karkardooma, the university has proposed hostels for 2,340 students at an estimated cost of Rs 725 crore. Separate boys' and girls' hostels are also planned at Veer Savarkar College in Najafgarh and the West Campus in Dwarka. Each proposed hostel unit would accommodate 1,036 students and cost Rs 347 crore.
Three existing hostels to be redeveloped
The redevelopment proposals cover Jubilee Hall Hostel, the Postgraduate Men's Hostel and the International Student House.
Jubilee Hall, established in 1947, is proposed to be replaced by a 32-storey building with capacity for 3,800 students at an estimated cost of Rs 1,225.59 crore. The PG Men's Hostel would be rebuilt to accommodate 2,337 students at a cost of Rs 637.06 crore, while a new International Student House would provide 3,300 places at an estimated cost of Rs 966.39 crore.
The proposed facilities would include dining halls, reading rooms, libraries, gyms, laundries, lifts and shopping facilities for daily needs. The plans also provide for fire safety systems, CCTV surveillance, internet connectivity, solar power systems and sewage treatment plants. The Building Committee has recommended single rooms for PhD and postdoctoral scholars, alongside residential facilities for wardens and other hostel staff.
Funding and approval
The Finance Committee has recommended that the detailed project reports be placed before the Executive Council. The university hopes to fund the projects through grants from the Ministry of Education and other relevant ministries.
The proposals have not yet received final approval. Their implementation will depend on the Executive Council's decision, subsequent government approvals and the availability of funds.
Delhi University currently has hostel accommodation for around 7,000 students, serving less than 3% of its approximately 2.5 lakh students. The proposed expansion would substantially increase residential capacity, although the projects will take time to complete. The detailed project report estimates a 30-month construction period for the new hostel project, including six months for planning and 24 months for execution.