ABVP releases DUSU manifesto, promises hostels and safety audit of PGs

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad released its manifesto for the Delhi University Students’ Union elections on Sunday, built around four themes it calls Awas, Bhagidari, Vishwas and Parinaam, focusing on safe student accommodation, women’s safety, student participation and academic reforms.

The manifesto places particular emphasis on student housing in the wake of the Satya Niketan building collapse. ABVP has proposed construction of new hostels, adequate facilities for women students, a dedicated student accommodation cell and helpline, safety audits of PGs and hostels, strict enforcement of fire-safety norms, and improved access to basic amenities such as cleanliness, drinking water and internet connectivity.
On women’s safety, the manifesto calls for stronger security patrols, pink booths, adequate deployment of women security personnel, improved lighting, common rooms for women students, sanitary napkin vending machines, gynaecologists at health centres and self-defence training. 

It also proposes stronger grievance redressal mechanisms, effective Internal Complaints Committees, legal assistance, and dedicated support for students with disabilities, transgender students and students from the Northeast, along with accessible mental health counselling.

On academics, ABVP has called for timely and transparent examination results, supplementary exams, access to evaluated answer scripts, greater transparency in internal assessment, student-friendly exam arrangements and timely issuance of degrees. To ease the transition from education to employment, the manifesto proposes job fairs, partnerships with industry and research institutions, training and internships, AI and digital-skills programmes, and support for innovation and entrepreneurship.

ABVP’s panel comprises Yash Dabas for president, Ishu Maurya for vice president, Riya Chhawdi for secretary and Lakshya Raj Singh for joint secretary, with a voting sequence of 7-3-3-3.
Presidential candidate Yash Dabas said the manifesto’s four pillars represented issues directly affecting students’ lives and aspirations, contrasting ABVP’s unity with what he described as infighting in other organisations. He said ABVP had consistently raised the issue of safe student accommodation since the Satya Niketan incident and would continue pursuing it, appealing to students to vote the full panel to secure a 4-0 sweep in DUSU.

Vice presidential candidate Ishu Maurya said students, as primary stakeholders of the university, deserved a meaningful voice in decisions affecting them. He said ABVP would work toward stronger student representation, accessible campuses for students with disabilities, and greater participation in academic and co-curricular activities, along with mechanisms for students to raise concerns and see effective action.

Secretary candidate Riya Chhawdi said women’s safety was fundamental to a genuinely student-friendly university, citing better lighting, security patrols, pink booths, common rooms, sanitary napkin facilities and gynaecologists at health centres as important steps. She said grievance redressal mechanisms needed to be responsive so women students could pursue their education without fear.

Joint secretary candidate Lakshyaraj Singh said students’ hard work should translate into timely results and meaningful future opportunities, pledging a more transparent examination system alongside expanded opportunities in employment, training, internships, digital skills and entrepreneurship.

ABVP Delhi State Secretary Sarthak Sharma said the organisation was running a positive, issue-based campaign across Delhi University, engaging directly with students on their concerns. He said the response from students across campuses gave the organisation confidence of securing a clean sweep in the upcoming DUSU elections.

The manifesto release comes as ABVP and NSUI campaigns intensify ahead of polling on September 18, with student housing safety emerging as a central issue following the Satya Niketan tragedy earlier this month.