The killer collapse of a paying guest accommodation (PG) in Delhi’s Satya Niketan has cast a shadow on the upcoming Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections. the focus has now shifted to protests and agitations by student organisations While the electoral atmosphere is usually dominated by colorful cultural events and heated campaign. The tragedy has propelled student safety concerns to the fore.
Student organisations are now staging protests and agitations on the streets alongside their election campaigning. Meanwhile, the NSUI is also holding protest demonstrations since the tragedy, directly targeting both the Delhi and Central governments. The NSUI asserts that the governments must be held accountable for student safety and accommodation arrangements.
the tragic incident just before the DUSU elections-has also transformed the university’s political climate While students are outraged over the accident.
Their conversations revealed palpable grief and anger regarding the tragedy. Following the incident, NDTV spoke with students unaffiliated with any student organization. Many students expressed the view that unless the system changes in the wake of this incident, students will continue to face a struggle for survival. The shortage of hostel accommodation has long been a significant challenge for students at Delhi University. these too lack sufficient capacity to accommodate all students While various DU colleges have their own hostels. Consequently, a large number of students are forced to live in PGs (paying guest accommodations) or rented houses. Ayush, a law student at DU, highlighted the challenge of finding safe and affordable PG accommodation, particularly for female students. She noted that students coming to Delhi from other states-and their families-bear the additional financial burden of expensive PG rents and housing costs. When NDTV spoke with student leaders from ABVP and NSUI, both organisations raised the issue of the shortage of hostel seats.
They emphasised the need to expand hostel capacity at the university so that students are not forced to rely on private PGs or expensive rental accommodation. Sandeep, a postgraduate student at DU, told NDTV that the university operates around 20 hostels, which house postgraduate students and PhD research scholars.
