NEW DELHI: The University of Delhi’s Executive Council on Tuesday approved a proposal to create residential facilities for 21,895 students at an estimated cost of Rs 5,889 crore, including new hostels and the reconstruction of two existing ones.
The proposal was cleared at the 1,284th meeting of the Executive Council, chaired by vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh. Of the total expenditure, Rs 4,027 crore has been earmarked for new hostels, which are expected to accommodate 15,758 students.
Another Rs 1,862 crore will be spent on reconstructing Jubilee Hall and the Postgraduate Men’s Hostel, providing accommodation for 6,137 students. The proposed hostels will come up at the university’s Dhaka Complex, East Campus at Surajmal Vihar in Karkardooma, and West Campus in Dwarka, as well as at Veer Savarkar College in Roshanpura, Najafgarh.
At Veer Savarkar College, separate hostels for men and women are planned. Residential facilities for both men and women are also proposed at the university’s East and West campuses. The reconstruction of Jubilee Hall and the Postgraduate Men’s Hostel is part of the plan to expand accommodation within the existing university infrastructure. Singh said the names of the two hostels would remain unchanged after reconstruction.
With vacant land for construction limited across the university, the proposed buildings will be designed to utilise the maximum permissible Floor Area Ratio (FAR) at each campus. The hostel complexes are also expected to include dining halls, shops, common rooms, reading rooms and residences for wardens.
Singh said the designs had been prepared keeping contemporary requirements in mind, with planning taking into account the university’s long-term residential needs.
The proposed expansion comes amid persistent concerns over the availability of hostel accommodation for students studying at the university and its affiliated colleges, particularly those coming to Delhi from outside the National Capital Region.
Meanwhile the university’s annual report for 2024-25 recorded more than 2.45 lakh regular students, while its university-run hostel network comprised 18 hostels. Hostel facilities at individual colleges remain limited, leaving a large proportion of students dependent on private accommodation. The council also urged colleges to prepare proposals for constructing hostels on their own premises and submit them to the funding agency.