Delhi committee formed to address student housing and safety

Delhi Education and Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood has chaired the inaugural meeting of a 20-member High-Powered Committee tasked with addressing student accommodation and safety issues in the national capital. Formed by the Lieutenant Governor, the committee aims to tackle the critical shortage of student housing and establish safety standards for accommodations.

The committee is mandated to provide policy direction and coordinate between various departments, including the Delhi Police, MCD, NDMC, and DDA. It includes representatives from several major institutions, such as Delhi University, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, and Netaji Subhas University of Technology.

Key objectives include assessing hostel shortages, exploring higher Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for campus expansions, and identifying underutilized government properties for conversion into student housing. Additionally, the panel plans to implement a mandatory registration system and central database for both institutional and private PG accommodations to regulate lease agreements and prevent arbitrary practices. The committee is expected to submit its final recommendations within 60 days.