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New Delhi: Delhi Education and Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood on Tuesday chaired the first meeting of a 20-member High-Powered Committee set up to address the shortage of student accommodation, safety concerns and regulation of paying guest (PG) facilities across the national capital. Constituted by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, the committee has been tasked with preparing a comprehensive policy framework for student housing and submitting its final recommendations within 60 days.
The committee comprises senior officials from the Delhi government, Delhi Police, civic agencies, development authorities and major universities, bringing together key stakeholders involved in student welfare, housing and urban planning.
At its first meeting, the panel decided to develop a centralised portal within 15 days to map student data across universities and other higher educational institutions in Delhi. The database will help authorities assess the existing demand for accommodation against available hostel capacity and identify gaps arising from the continuous influx of students into the capital. Furthermore, A separate online portal will also be created within 15 days for the registration of PG facilities. Owners will be required to submit details regarding the age and structural condition of their buildings, the size and configuration of the premises, and the availability of fire safety measures.
The committee will also examine measures to expand hostel capacity in Delhi. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Urban Development Department have been directed to identify suitable land parcels for construction of new hostels. The panel will additionally consider allowing higher Floor Area Ratio (FAR) norms to facilitate the expansion of student accommodation within university campuses.
Officials will also explore the possibility of converting under-utilised government and DDA properties into student hostels. Vacant government housing, including properties in areas such as Narela, will be assessed for their suitability for conversion, with emphasis on locations that have adequate public transport connectivity.
Regulation of PG accommodation will form a major component of the committee’s work. The panel is expected to formulate new laws and regulations covering mandatory registration, lease agreements and other operational requirements for PG facilities. Departments and stakeholders, including the Training and Technical Education (TTE) department, will participate in drafting the proposed regulatory framework.
The committee will also examine complaints relating to arbitrary electricity charges and rental practices in PG accommodations. Among the measures under consideration is the introduction of zone-wise rent bands, aimed at bringing greater transparency and predictability to rental costs for students. Moreover, Safety standards will be another key focus. The committee will work towards making structural audits and fire safety inspections mandatory for student accommodation facilities. It will also examine emergency evacuation procedures and the conduct of periodic mock drills for students as well as accommodation operators.
To strengthen grievance redressal, the committee plans to establish a centralised digital dashboard through which students can report overcrowding, structural safety concerns, fire hazards, lease violations and other problems. The proposed system is expected to facilitate time-bound action on complaints.
Ashish Sood said the Delhi Government was committed to ensuring a safe and secure environment for students while developing a regulatory framework that is practical, balanced and implementable. He said the meeting focused on creating a coordinated mechanism for providing students with safe, accessible and better-quality accommodation, while simultaneously strengthening safety standards and related facilities across the capital.
The initiative assumes significance amid concerns over the shortage and safety of student accommodation in Delhi, which attracts students from across the country for higher education. The government said the committee would adopt a student-first approach aimed at creating a safer, more supportive and better-regulated higher education ecosystem in the national capital.