New Delhi [India], September 30 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought responses from all concerned authorities on a fresh Public Interest Litigation seeking a dedicated mechanism to monitor the safety and welfare of students living in paying guest (PG) accommodations, rented flats and private hostels in Delhi.
A bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia sought responses from the relevant parties and directed that the petition be listed along with the main matters already pending before the court on October 14, 2026. Advocate Ashu Bidhuri appeared for the petitioner.
The fresh PIL has been filed by Shivansh Kalia, a second-year student of PGDAV College, University of Delhi, in the wake of the September 6 Satya Niketan building collapse, in which seven persons, including five students, died. The petitioner himself resides in rented accommodation in Rajouri Garden, Delhi.
The petition seeks constitution of Student Accommodation Advisory and Monitoring Committees at the college, university and major student or coaching-hub levels to address safety and other concerns faced by students living in private accommodation.
The petitioner has said that a large number of students coming to Delhi for education depend on PGs, rented flats and private hostels due to limited institutional hostel facilities. The plea claims that students do not have a dedicated mechanism to report concerns such as unsafe buildings, fire hazards, overcrowding, sanitation problems, exploitation, overcharging and harassment and get them followed up with the concerned authorities.
The Satya Niketan collapse has been cited as the immediate trigger for the fresh PIL. According to the petition, the incident highlighted concerns over structural safety, fire safety and regulatory monitoring of buildings being used as student accommodation. It also refers to reports regarding construction and renovation work carried out before the collapse and questions over the sanctioned structure of the building.
The petitioner has also referred to the High Court’s September 7 observations in proceedings arising from the Satya Niketan incident, where the court had prima facie observed that responsibility for such mishaps does not lie solely with the owner of a PG hostel and also extends to university authorities and the MCD in ensuring compliance with building bye-laws and regulations.
The fresh plea proposes that the committees should have a 24x7 student helpline, a dedicated email address and online grievance portal through which students can report accommodation-related concerns.
It also seeks periodic safety verification and coordination with the MCD, Delhi Fire Services, Police and other competent authorities for structural, electrical, fire-safety and sanitation assessments. Unsafe or unauthorised accommodations could be referred to the concerned statutory authorities for action.
The petitioner has proposed representation from educational institutions, students, police, district administration, MCD and civil society in the committees. Separate mechanisms have been proposed at the college, university and major student/coaching-hub levels.
In the interim application, the petitioner has sought immediate measures, including creation of a nodal mechanism for receiving student complaints and coordinating with existing authorities. It has also sought identification and safety assessment of private accommodations substantially housing students, particularly in major educational and coaching hubs.
The PIL seeks directions for formulation and implementation of a comprehensive regulatory framework for PGs, rented accommodations and private hostels housing students, covering safety, security, habitability, hygiene, structural and fire safety, grievance redressal and protection against exploitation.
The respondents include the Delhi government, MCD, Delhi Police, GGSIP University, Delhi University, PGDAV College, UGC, Union Ministry of Education, JNU and Dr BR Ambedkar University Delhi. (ANI)
Fresh PIL in Delhi HC seeks student safety mechanism for PGs after Satya Niketan collapse
