DUSU Elections: Women’s safety, metro passes, water scarcity emerge as key issues

DUSU Elections: With the Delhi University (DU) student elections approaching on September 27, the varsity is electric with energy. The air is filled with the sounds of firecrackers, and students gather in large numbers, proudly waving party flags and distributing candidates’ pamphlets. Rallies and meetings are in full swing, all focused on securing victory for their chosen candidates.

The north campus, home to 13 colleges, is adorned with banners in every nook and cranny of the area. Nearly every vehicle owned by students and their acquaintances displays the banner of the candidate they are supporting.

Patriot visited the north campus to uncover the pressing issues in this election.

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Women’s safety concerns

Geeta Joshi, a third-year student from Uttarakhand studying at Hindu College, expressed her concerns about women’s safety on campus. She said, “The female students do not feel safe. Boys pass comments and stare. This issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible, especially since this is the national capital.”

She further highlighted, “Moreover, there is hooliganism in our college. Every week, there is a nasty fight between groups of boys, and outsiders also participate, ruining the campus environment.”

“Women’s safety issues should be addressed on a priority basis, and we will vote for the candidate who promises to do so,” she added.

Accommodation challenges

Nikhil Verma, a fresher who recently enrolled at Kirori Mal College, shared, “I’m from Bihar, and two weeks ago, I moved to Delhi for my studies. One major issue I faced was finding accommodation. The broker nexus drained a significant amount of money from my pocket just for a one-BHK independent flat.”

He added, “I will vote for the candidate who addresses this problem, as countless students move to Delhi every year after gaining admission to DU for higher education.”

Another student, Deepender Kumar, a second-year student at the Campus Law Centre (CLC), stated, “I’m from Uttarakhand and stay in the hostel. The water there is not hygienic; stray dogs can often be seen sitting on top of the water cooler, and they even lick the tap. There’s no one overseeing the cleanliness and hygiene for the students living in the hostel.”

He added, “We have raised these issues several times, but the dean does not listen to our concerns. We will vote primarily on this issue because water is a basic necessity, and we are being deprived of it in the hostel.”

Unhygienic canteen food

Khagesh Yadav from the Department of Physics at Hindu College expressed his concerns, stating, “The university is in a really sorry state; the canteen food is unhygienic. Students who stay alone often rely on the canteen, and they at least deserve to be served hygienic food.”

He further pointed out, “Additionally, the fee structure varies across colleges even for the same course. For instance, if a course at Hindu College costs ₹27,000, the same course at Kirori Mal College is offered for ₹15,000. There should be uniformity in the fee structure as well.”

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Broken promises

Aditya, a second-year student at Hindu College, chose not to participate in the rallies and campaigning by the candidates, citing unfulfilled promises from the previous year.

He remarked, “Last year, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) came to power, but they haven’t delivered on their promise to help students obtain concessional passes from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). They also claimed they would run a free bus service exclusively for DU students, yet not a single bus has been seen on the roads for us.”

Aditya added, “These elections are merely a means for candidates to advance their political careers. No one seems concerned about the students.”