New Delhi: Delhi Lt Governor (LG) Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting on institutional safety, with a focus on strengthening security across university campuses and ensuring the safety of students, particularly females.
The meeting brought together Vice-Chancellors and Directors of universities administered by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), along with senior officials from the Delhi Police, Public Works Department (PWD), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and Transport Department.
Taking to X after the meeting, LG Sandhu said that ensuring the safety of students was a “non-negotiable” priority and outlined a series of measures aimed at improving security on campuses as well as along routes used by students.
He said the meeting focused on strengthening coordination among various agencies and improving security infrastructure and arrangements around educational institutions.
“Directed strengthened multi-agency coordination covering enhanced police patrolling, elimination of dark spots, CCTV integration along approach roads, improved last-mile transport connectivity and comprehensive safety audits of student accommodations,” he said.
“We must ensure that every young person – especially our daughters – can pursue education in Delhi with confidence, dignity and a sense of security. A safe, vibrant and dignified environment for our youth is foundational to our vision of a Viksit Dilli,” the LG added.
The meeting comes days after students of Delhi University intensified their protests over rising incidents of crime against women in the national capital. The students took to the streets carrying posters and placards, questioning restrictions imposed on women and demanding accountability over incidents of sexual violence.
The latest review also follows a meeting held by Sandhu on September 30 with principals of women’s colleges affiliated with Delhi University, during which he directed various agencies to strengthen measures for the safety of women around educational institutions.
At that meeting, the LG directed officials to improve street lighting, expand CCTV coverage and increase police patrolling in areas surrounding colleges to address safety concerns and improve the overall security environment for students.
Sandhu also directed the nomination of a dedicated nodal police officer for each college to ensure regular coordination with college authorities and enable prompt action on complaints related to eve-teasing, obscene flashing and other safety concerns.
According to a Lok Niwas note, the directions also included the deployment of plainclothes surveillance personnel and the establishment of an emergency response mechanism to ensure quicker intervention in cases involving students’ safety.
The LG further directed that a comprehensive safety audit be conducted in areas surrounding educational institutions. He also ordered the removal of stationary buses parked near colleges, saying such vehicles can create obstructed and isolated stretches and potentially compromise the safety of students.
The meeting was attended by senior Delhi Police officers, the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University, and officials from the PWD and Transport Department.
As part of the proposed measures, he also directed officials to prepare a dedicated student safety application equipped with emergency alerts, GPS-based location sharing and real-time reporting of safety concerns.
Sandhu also directed the setting up of an inter-college women’s safety committee for colleges located in the North and South campuses of Delhi University to facilitate greater coordination on issues concerning the safety of female students.
Representatives from several prominent Delhi University women’s colleges, including Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), Miranda House, Lady Irwin College, Jesus & Mary College, Daulat Ram College, Laxmibai College, Gargi College, Mata Sundri College, Janki Devi Memorial College, and Indraprastha College, attended the meeting.
Sandhu has issued a series of directions to the Delhi Police and other departments in recent weeks aimed at strengthening women’s safety in the national capital, particularly in the aftermath of the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in a park near the Kalkaji area of southeast Delhi.
(IANS)
