New Delhi: University of Delhi is learnt to have directed colleges to identify students from their institutions who were living in Satya Niketan and submit details of those who have died or been injured by Tuesday.The university has also decided to provide compensation to the families of the deceased students from the vice-chancellor’s fund. The amount will be decided later, officials familiar with the development told TOI.The decisions were taken at a meeting held by vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh with the principals of all colleges Monday morning. During the meeting, the VC sought updates from the South Campus colleges worst affected by the tragedy on the relief being provided to students displaced from the area.“Colleges have also been asked to urgently conduct an audit of their infrastructure and submit a report to the university,” a principal who attended the meeting told TOI.“This was a meeting that had been scheduled with the VC earlier on another issue. During the meeting, the VC also sought updates on the relief work being carried out by colleges for students displaced from the affected area, ” the principal said.Another university official from a different college, who attended the meeting, said that “colleges had been asked to identify students from their institutions who were living in the affected area and ascertain whether any had died or been injured.”In a statement, DU said it had directed the colleges to expedite proposals for construction of hostels. Where land is available, colleges have been asked to begin the construction process and send proposals to the university for approval. According to the second college official, institutions have also been asked to explore HEFA loans to fund hostel construction.Several South Campus institutions, including Sri Venkateswara College, Jesus & Mary College, Motilal Nehru College, Bhagat Singh College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, Aryabhatta College, Maitreyi College and Ram Lal Anand College, have students living in the locality.Motilal Nehru College confirmed to TOI that at least three of its students were in the building that collapsed. The college is in touch with the students’ families, its principal (morning) Yogeshwar Sharma said.Apart from Sri Venkateswara, and Maitreyi, most South campus colleges do not have hostel facilities, leaving students dependent on private accommodation in areas such as Satya Niketan.Sri Venkateswara College has only 150 hostel beds — 75 each for boys and girls — against 2,928 outstation students studying there, according to official data obtained by TOI.
