Delhi University’s Executive Council has approved hostel projects worth ₹5,889 crore, proposing new residential facilities and the reconstruction of two existing hostels to expand accommodation for students amid a persistent shortage of affordable housing.
The approvals, cleared at an emergency meeting on Tuesday, include ₹4,027 crore for new expected to accommodate 15,758 students and ₹1,862 crore for reconstructing two existing hostels, with a proposed capacity of 6,137 students, Hindustan Times reported.
The university said the projects would collectively provide accommodation for 21,895 students. However, the proposals will need approval from the Union for grant-in-aid before they can move forward.
The fresh approvals come as several previously announced hostel projects remain delayed due to funding constraints and construction challenges, raising questions about how quickly the proposed capacity can be added.
Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh said the proposals had been cleared by the university’s highest statutory decision-making body and would now be forwarded to the of Education for approval.
The new construction plan includes two additional hostel blocks for the Institute of Eminence hostels at the university’s Dhaka Complex, separate boys’ and girls’ hostels at Veer Savarkar College in Roshanpura, Najafgarh, and hostels for men and women at DU’s West Campus in Dwarka and , and East Campus in Surajmal Vihar, Kardardooma.
The university is also planning to reconstruct Jubilee Hall and the Postgraduate Men’s Hostel to increase their capacity.
Jubilee Hall, established in 1947, currently accommodates 212 students. Under the reconstruction plan, it is proposed to house 3,795 students.
The Postgraduate Men’s Hostel, built in 1975 and currently accommodating 100 students, is proposed to have a capacity for 2,337 students after redevelopment.
“The university’s earlier hostels were built differently from the conditions expected in the future; therefore, planning is being done with the next 100 years in view,” Singh said, adding that the names of existing hostels would remain unchanged after reconstruction.
The new approvals come as DU continues to face delays in implementing previously announced residential projects.
Two projects at the— a Girls’ Hostel/Studio Apartment Complex estimated to cost ₹233.35 crore and a Hostel-cum-Residential Block pegged at ₹318 crore — remain pending.
A university official told HT that both projects were expected to be completed by December 2028.
The Residential Accommodation Project, also located at the Dhaka Complex, has seen its estimated cost increase from ₹272 crore to ₹400 crore. Funding from the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development is yet to be released, the official said.
“We have made several attempts to reach out to the women and child development minister, but the funds are yet to be released,” a senior university official told HT on condition of anonymity.
Delhi University has more than 251,000 students, including around 71,600 undergraduate students admitted in recent years, while roughly half of its students come from outside Delhi, according to reports.
Before the latest proposal, the university’s official hostel infrastructure across its colleges and departments offered around 7,224 beds — approximately 3,688 in undergraduate college hostels and 3,536 in postgraduate university hostels, as per reports.
The proposed capacity of 21,895 students would significantly expand this infrastructure if all the projects are completed. However, these are planned seats, not accommodation currently available to students.
Even if the entire proposed capacity is delivered, many students from outside are likely to continue relying on private paying guest (PG) facilities and rented accommodation.
Safety concerns have also drawn attention to the conditions in which students live outside university hostels.
On September 6, a five-storey building in Delhi’s neighbourhood reportedly collapsed, killing seven people and leaving several others critically injured.
The 40- to 50-year-old building, locally known as “Hostel Daze”, was reportedly being used as a private boys’ PG accommodation and housed students because of its proximity to DU’s South Campus.
The incident has underscored the importance of safe and affordable student housing, although the extent to which it influenced the university’s latest decisions has not been established.
