Funding among key hurdles in hostel infra expansion at affiliated colleges of DU

Despite progress on some Delhi University hostel projects, campus accommodation expansion in affiliated colleges remains slow due to several hurdles. Key limitations include funding, space constraints, land-use restrictions, and resource limitations, according to The Indian Express. On-campus hostels are preferred by outstation students, with the university's hostels accommodating 3,422 students and the affiliated colleges collectively offering 3,788 hostel seats.

However, this is far from the 2.8 lakh annual undergraduate enrolments and 11,600 postgraduate enrolments, many of whom are from outside the state.

The shortage is particularly pressing at DU's South Campus, where only two colleges, Sri Venkateswara College (144 beds) and Maitreyi College (103 beds), have hostels. In contrast, several North Campus colleges boast larger hostel capacities, such as St Stephen's with 380 beds, Miranda House with 361, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College with 357, and IP College for Women with 450 beds.

This persistent shortfall has been a concern for years. For instance, in October 2020, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College officials highlighted the urgent need for infrastructure expansion due to a significant increase in student enrollment following a shift to accommodate Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students. However, six years later, the college still lacks a housing facility for its students, and it caters to both evening and morning shift students.

College administrators indicate that constraints differ across campuses. Land availability on campus can be an issue, as seen with Aryabhatta College and Ram Lal Anand College in South Campus, which share a roughly 10-acre plot, limiting the scope for additional large buildings. Regulatory roadblocks also impact some South Campus colleges located on the protected South Central Ridge forest area, such as Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College.

Additionally, the historical nature of campuses poses regulatory challenges; for example, Indraprastha College for Women's Grade-I heritage status restricts structural alterations and expansion.

Funding is a significant issue across these campuses. Miranda House Principal Bijayalaxmi Nanda is exploring vertical expansion and a "buddy system" to augment its capacity. However, the university's decentralized governance means individual colleges handle initial project approvals through their Building Committees, which must navigate legal protections for trees and strict protocols enforced by the Delhi Environment department.

The principal at Maitreyi College, Haritma Chopra, emphasizes the need for resources not only for construction but also for staffing and services. Aryabhatta College's Manoj Sinha, who is also President of the Delhi University Principals’ Association, bluntly states that the university cannot accommodate everyone on campus, citing the large number of students and varying campus sizes.