New Delhi, 08 September (H.S.): The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has strongly condemned Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Professor Yogesh Singh for attending a university event following the Satya Niketan incident and has demanded his resignation.

NSUI members staged a protest near the Faculty of Arts during the event, which was attended by the Delhi University Vice-Chancellor. The protesters questioned the alleged insensitivity of the university administration and demanded accountability towards students and their families affected by the Satya Niketan tragedy.

NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar said that while students and their families were enduring unbearable pain in the aftermath of the Satya Niketan tragedy, the Delhi University Vice-Chancellor was attending such events as though nothing had happened.

In a series of questions, he asked how many families of the affected students the Vice-Chancellor had personally met and how many students he had spoken to to enquire about their well-being. He also questioned why the university administration was avoiding providing clear answers on student accommodation and hostel facilities.

Vinod Jakhar said the Satya Niketan tragedy had once again highlighted the severe shortage of safe and affordable hostel accommodation for students in Delhi. When universities fail to provide adequate hostel facilities, students are forced to depend on private accommodation that may be unsafe and lack proper regulatory oversight, he said.

The NSUI national president demanded that Delhi University immediately expand safe, affordable and adequate hostel facilities for students and ensure that all student accommodation fully complies with prescribed safety standards.

Jakhar said that when the Delhi University administration could neither take responsibility for students’ safety, resolve the hostel crisis nor stand with families affected by the tragedy, the Vice-Chancellor had no moral right to continue in office.

The NSUI has demanded an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Satya Niketan tragedy and fixing of accountability; the provision of safe, affordable and adequate hostel facilities for Delhi University students; a comprehensive safety audit of university hostels and private accommodations used by students; immediate engagement by the Delhi University administration with students and families affected by the tragedy and measures to resolve their concerns; and the establishment of a transparent mechanism to address complaints relating to student safety and accommodation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar