12 DU colleges may soon have larger campuses

Twelve of Delhi University’s colleges may soon have larger campuses.

Twelve of Delhi University’s colleges may soon have larger campuses.

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Colleges such as the Delhi College of Arts and Commerce (DCAC), Sri Aurobindo College and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College stand on land that belongs to the education department of the Delhi government. The land had originally been earmarked for schools.

The education department had recently demanded that the 12 colleges vacate their premises. The higher education department, in turn, had sent a proposal to the education department so that the colleges can carry out constructions and have larger campuses.

“The colleges need to expand their campuses and construct laboratories and classrooms. The number of students in DU from the other backward classes has increased, causing a severe space crunch. We have asked the education department to hand over the buildings to us,” AK Walia, the Delhi minister for higher education, said.

The colleges, too, are hoping that the land will be transferred soon to enable the expansion of permanent infrastructure.

“There is no denying the fact that we are housed in a school building. But there was no school in the building earlier. I had asked the government to transfer the land either to the higher education department or the varsity,” DCAC principal MS Rawat said.

The education department said it had received a proposal which was being studied. “We are looking into the proposal but we have been told that some of the colleges have been provided alternative land for constructing their new campuses. A decision will be taken soon,” said anofficial.