Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has assured women students that safety measures around colleges will be strengthened through dark-spot mapping, security audits, improved street lighting, more pink booths, enhanced police presence and better public transport connectivity.
Gupta held an interaction with students from several Delhi colleges at the Mukhyamantri Jan Seva Sadan on Monday, where students outlined safety concerns around campuses, roads, paying guest accommodation areas and routes connecting colleges with Metro stations. She said their suggestions would be taken up with the relevant departments and acted on as a priority.
Students from Lady Shri Ram College, Gargi College, Daulat Ram College, Jesus and Mary College, Maitreyi College, Aditi Mahavidyalaya, Bharati College and Janki Devi Memorial College were among those who participated in the interaction, according to the report.
The concerns raised included inadequate street lighting around college campuses, a shortage of pink booths, the need for more women police personnel, regular police patrolling and stronger CCTV surveillance. Students specifically suggested improved security arrangements near Siri Fort Road, Kamala Nehru College, Mukherjee Nagar and Batra Cinema, which are areas used by large student populations.
The discussion also covered the safety and reliability of public transport. Students called for adequate Delhi Transport Corporation bus services to off-campus colleges, buses stopping at designated stops, better monitoring in paying guest accommodation areas and safer movement between Metro stations and college campuses. These issues place the focus not only on policing but also on the design and maintenance of the routes students use before and after classes.
Gupta said coordination with officials would be used to ensure time-bound disposal of student complaints. A WhatsApp group created to facilitate communication between students and officials will remain active, according to the report. Students were also reminded that they can contact the emergency helpline 112 during an emergency.
The Chief Minister said work was being pursued towards installing approximately one lakh smart street lights across Delhi. The proposed system is expected to be connected to an Integrated Command and Control Centre, with a maintenance mechanism also being planned. The announcement did not specify the rollout schedule, locations, project cost or the agencies responsible for implementation.
The proposed lighting programme could become a significant part of the safety response if it is linked to actual dark-spot assessments and maintained after installation. The student demands raised during the meeting indicate that safety around colleges depends on several connected systems, including lighting, surveillance, policing, bus operations, pedestrian access and the condition of routes leading to public transport.
The Delhi government has said its objective is to provide students with a safer environment in which they can pursue education without fear and move independently. The next steps are expected to involve coordination between the relevant departments, identification of priority locations and follow-up through the student-official communication channel.
