Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has directed multiple agencies to strengthen safety measures for women students at Delhi University colleges, extending the focus beyond campus gates to surrounding streets, parks, metro stations and daily transport routes.
The directions were issued at a high-level meeting attended by the Delhi University vice-chancellor, principals of Miranda House, Lady Shri Ram College, Daulat Ram College, Indraprastha College and Gargi College, along with senior officials from the Delhi Police, Public Works Department, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Transport Department and Delhi Metro.
According to a report by Jagran, the meeting discussed complaints and safety concerns linked to dark spots, uncontrolled e-rickshaws, encroachments, gatherings of antisocial elements in parks and incidents of harassment around the colleges. The stated objective was to create safer movement corridors for students travelling between colleges, metro stations, bus stops and residential areas.
The Lieutenant Governor directed that each women’s college should have a dedicated nodal police officer. Police patrolling and picket checks are to be increased around colleges and nearby metro stations, while pink booths are also planned to provide a visible point of assistance.
The PWD and MCD have been asked to repair faulty streetlights and eliminate dark spots. The directions also cover illegal encroachments, unwanted stalls and problems associated with liquor shops near college areas. These measures place street conditions and surrounding land-use issues within the safety response, rather than treating security as an issue limited to college campuses.
Transport access is another part of the plan. Designated pick-up and drop-off points will be created for e-rickshaws, while arrangements for U-Special buses, shuttle services and feeder buses during evening hours have been sought for students. The directions do not specify the number of vehicles, routes or an implementation date for these services.
A student safety application is also to be developed with emergency alerts and GPS location-sharing features. The plan further includes inter-college women’s safety committees for the North and South campuses. These committees are expected to provide a coordination mechanism across colleges, although the report does not specify their membership or operating procedures.
The meeting’s multi-agency structure reflects the number of authorities involved in a student’s daily journey. Street lighting and encroachments fall under civic and public works agencies, policing and emergency response involve the Delhi Police, while e-rickshaw regulation, buses and metro access require coordination with transport authorities and Delhi Metro. The safety measures will therefore depend on implementation across administrative boundaries.
Progress on the decisions is to be reviewed every 15 days. The review mechanism is the next stated milestone for assessing whether lighting repairs, patrols, transport arrangements, designated e-rickshaw points, pink booths and the proposed safety application are moving from directives to on-ground measures.
