Delhi University has directed its colleges, departments and hostels to conduct comprehensive campus safety audits and submit detailed reports by 5 p.m. on October 12, with particular attention to women’s safety, lighting, CCTV surveillance and building conditions.
The directive followed an online meeting held on October 9 involving college principals, deans, directors, heads of departments, hostel provosts, wardens and resident tutors. A statement issued by Delhi University Proctor Manoj Singh said the exercise would identify safety and infrastructure gaps across the university’s campuses, colleges and residential facilities.
“Delhi University has colleges and campuses spread across the city. The objective is first to collect data on where and what can be improved so that we can give the report to the LG and CM, and accordingly action for campus and women safety can be taken,” Mr. Singh said, according to the statement.
The university has asked officials to identify poorly lit areas and other blind spots, repair non-functional lights and install additional streetlights where required. Authorities have also been told to position CCTV cameras strategically to strengthen surveillance. Overgrown trees that obstruct natural light and other potential safety hazards are to be addressed as part of the assessment.
The reports may be submitted in hard copy or digital format and must include specific concerns relating to women’s safety and infrastructure. The university said the information would help it identify issues systematically and facilitate action across its dispersed campuses.
The meeting also considered measures outside college and hostel premises. These included increasing police presence near institutions, deploying dedicated surveillance teams at strategic locations, installing more pink booths for women and strengthening the operations of the Vamika police van, which the statement described as a rapid-response service.
Delhi University further plans to organise gender-sensitisation workshops with the Delhi Police and conduct a seven-day self-defence crash course for students. Officials have been asked to prominently display and communicate the women’s safety helpline numbers 1091 and 112 across college and campus premises.
The safety review will also cover the physical condition of university buildings, colleges and hostels. The university has directed officials to coordinate with its Engineering Department to identify structural problems and report repairs that require urgent attention.
The audit places campus safety within a wider infrastructure and governance exercise: colleges and university facilities are being asked to produce location-specific information before proposals are submitted to the Lieutenant-Governor and Chief Minister. The immediate milestone is the October 12 deadline for receiving the reports, after which the university will assess the identified requirements and pursue further action.
