Delhi will develop a central portal mapping student accommodation and higher education enrolment data within 15 days, while authorities begin identifying land for new hostels and prepare tighter registration and safety rules for paying guest facilities across the capital.
The decisions were taken at the first meeting of a 20-member high-powered committee on student accommodation and safety, chaired by Delhi education and urban development minister Ashish Sood. The committee was formed by Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu to address the shortage of student housing, poor safety standards and limited regulation of accommodation facilities.
Owners of paying guest properties will be required to register their facilities on the proposed portal and provide information including the building’s age, size, structure and fire-safety measures. The portal is also expected to create a central database of PG accommodation across Delhi, giving authorities a consolidated view of facilities operating in different parts of the city.
The committee will examine the gap between student intake and existing hostel capacity. The Delhi Development Authority and the urban development department will identify land parcels that could be used to build new student hostels. Officials will also assess under-utilised government and DDA properties, including vacant housing projects in Narela, for possible conversion into student accommodation.
The panel will explore whether higher floor area ratio permissions could support additional hostel capacity within university campuses. It will also examine connectivity between potential accommodation sites and education hubs, bringing public transport access into the planning of new student housing.
A regulatory framework for PG facilities is also under consideration. The proposed measures include standardised lease agreements, zone-wise rent bands and restrictions on arbitrary electricity surcharges imposed on students. Relevant departments, including the training and technical education department, are expected to participate in drafting the proposed laws and regulations.
Safety measures under discussion include structural and fire-safety audits, emergency evacuation protocols and regular mock drills at accommodation facilities. A centralised digital dashboard is planned to allow students to report overcrowding, building-safety hazards and lease violations. Complaints submitted through the system are proposed to be taken up for time-bound resolution.
The meeting was attended by the Delhi chief secretary, police commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi commissioner, university vice-chancellors and the principal secretary for education, among other officials. The committee is expected to coordinate action across agencies and provide policy direction on student accommodation and safety.
Sood said the meeting focused on developing a coordinated approach to make student accommodation safer, more accessible and better regulated, while strengthening safety measures and facilities for students. The committee has been given 60 days to submit its final recommendations.
