Parliament Question: Hostel facilities in Universities of NCT of Delhi

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2900 ANSWERED ON 18/03/2026 Hostel facilities in Universities of NCT of Delhi 2900 Shri I.S. Inbadurai: Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state: (a) whether Government has assessed the availability of hostel accommodation for students in Central and other Universities located in the NCT of Delhi, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether there exists a shortage of hostel facilities compared to enrolled student strength in these Universities, if so, institution-wise details thereof and corrective measures proposed; (c) whether Government proposes to expand or construct new hostel infrastructure to support outstation and economically weaker students, if so, details of plans, timelines and funding allocation; and (d) whether any scheme or financial assistance is provided to universities for upgrading existing hostels, ensuring safety, accessibility and affordable accommodation, if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) to (d) Education being a concurrent subject, comes under the purview of Central and State Governments. Central Universities under the purview of Ministry of Education are statutory autonomous organizations established under respective Central Acts of Parliament and governed by provisions of the Acts, Statutes, Ordinances, Regulations made thereunder. The allotment of hostels to students is done by the Universities as per their respective Rules/Regulations/ Ordinances. There are six Central Universities headquartered in Delhi, which are under the administrative control of Department of Higher Education. There are established norms and guidelines for hostel allotment in Central Universities, ensuring a transparent, merit-based and equitable allocation process.With the increasing number of students in Central Universities, additional hostel infrastructure is constructed from time to time to meet the accommodation needs of students by the institutions. The Central Government has been extending financial support through grant-in-aid and through Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) for the development of university infrastructure, including the construction of hostels. Under HEFA, an amount of ₹938.33 crore, ₹495.66 crore, and ₹423.30 crore has been approved to University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Jamia Millia Islamia, respectively, for the said purpose. With regard to State Universities, their infrastructural requirements are met by the respective State Governments. However, recognizing the need for Central assistance, the Department of Higher Education, Government of India, is implementing Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) which is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme aimed at funding specific State Government Universities and Colleges, so as to improve their quality by ensuring their conformity to prescribed norms and standards. The Government launched the third phase of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) in June 2023 in the form of Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA), with an outlay of Rs. 12,926.10 crore, including the committed liabilities of the earlier phases of RUSA, to cater to the needs of educationally unserved/ underserved areas. The NCT of Delhi signed MoU in February, 2026, for implementation of PM-USHA in the UT. ****