The Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a petition seeking direction to Delhi University (DU) to ensure that all regular students studying in the varsity get hostel accommodation.
A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice C. Hari Shankar was of the view that there was no statutory obligation for Delhi University to provide hostel accommodation to all students.
Monthly stipend
The Bench also rejected additional plea of the petition by Praveen Kumar Singh to pay a monthly stipend of ₹10, 000 to each regular student who is not able to secure a hostel seat.
The petition, filed through advocate Kamlesh Kumar Mishra, stated that of the 1,84,668 students enrolled in DU as per RTI reply, only 6,235 or 3.37% have hostel accommodation.
Other students have been left at the mercy of exploitative landlords and property dealers, the plea said.
The plea had sought to declare the area in and around the 5-km radius of the Delhi University “South Campus and North Campus” as a special students zone where a minimum rent is fixed for the accommodation for the students.
It also sought to end the disparity between the rates of the departmental canteen food for staff members and canteen for students.
Advocate Mishra said he will move the higher court against the High Court’s decision.