Delhi college women have asked the government to improve safety around campuses through better street lighting, stronger public transport, regular police patrols and faster action on complaints. The demands were raised during a meeting between Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and student representatives from colleges across the capital on Monday.
Students from Lady Shri Ram College, Gargi College, Daulat Ram College, Jesus and Mary College, Maitreyi College, Aditi Mahavidyalaya, Bharti College and Janki Devi Memorial College were among those who took part in the interaction. They discussed safety concerns inside and around campuses, including dark spots, vulnerable locations, CCTV monitoring and the availability of grievance redressal systems.
The students sought adequate street lighting near colleges and safety audits of dark spots and other sensitive areas. They also called for the deployment of more women police personnel, an increase in regular police patrolling and wider publicity for women’s safety helpline numbers.
Specific areas identified during the discussion included Siri Fort Road, the area around Kamala Nehru College, Gargi College, Mukherjee Nagar and Batra Cinema. The students also raised concerns about public transport in off-campus colleges and institutions located in distant areas. They said Delhi Transport Corporation buses were not sufficiently available in some locations and that buses did not always stop at designated stops.
The students further asked for effective action on complaints received at pink booths, regular checking of complaint boxes and the formation of committees at each college comprising the principal, student representatives and local police officials. They also proposed that college safety audits be conducted at regular intervals.
Gupta assured the students that their suggestions would be placed before the relevant officials and that coordination and follow-up would be ensured for resolving the reported problems. A WhatsApp group created to facilitate communication between students and officials will remain active so that students can share their concerns directly.
The chief minister also said that where additional street lighting is required around colleges, the concerned agencies and college administrations would coordinate to take the necessary steps. Students whose complaints are not addressed at the relevant level can raise them with senior police officers and departmental officials, according to the report.
The meeting places responsibility for campus-area safety across several agencies, including the police, transport authorities, civic bodies and college administrations. The next steps announced by the government involve referring the students’ suggestions to the relevant departments and ensuring follow-up on lighting, public transport, police presence and complaint resolution.
