Women students flag safety concerns with CM

Student representatives of various women’s colleges in the city flagged women’s safety issues during an interaction with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday, stressing adequate street lighting, safety audits, illumination of dark spots, deployment of female police personnel and regular patrols on campuses.

The chief minister, during the interaction at Mukhyamantri Jan Seva Sadan, assured the students that their concerns would be followed up with necessary action.

She asked the students to use the emergency helpline number, 112, to seek police assistance in an emergency.

She also told them that work is underway to install around one lakh smart streetlights across Delhi, which would be connected to the Integrated Command and Control Centre.

During the meeting, students suggested setting up safety committees in every college comprising the principal, student representatives and local police officers. They also called for regular safety audits and monitoring of streetlights, CCTV cameras, pink booths and hostel facilities.

Adequate public transport, CCTV surveillance and grievance redressal at college levels, were also sought by the student representatives, the Delhi Chief Minister’s Office said in a statement.

Student representatives belonged to Lady Shri Ram College, Gargi College, Daulat Ram College, Jesus and Mary College, Maitreyi College, Aditi Mahavidyalaya, Bharati College, Janki Devi Memorial College and other institutions.

The chief minister said the suggestions shared by the students would be taken up with the concerned officials, and that necessary coordination and follow-up would be ensured to address their issues.

She further said that a WhatsApp group created to facilitate communication and coordination between students and officials would remain active, enabling students to share their concerns directly and ensuring timely action. The CM said if a complaint is not addressed at the appropriate level, students can also approach senior police officers and officials of the concerned departments.  She emphasised that effective grievance redressal and ensuring students’ safety remain priorities for the Government.

The students also suggested strengthening security in areas with a large student population, including Siri Fort Road, Kamala Nehru College, Gargi College, Mukherjee Nagar and Batra Cinema, and curbing inappropriate activities in public places.

They stressed the need for better coordination among the concerned departments to ensure safe movement around metro stations, on roads near colleges and across bridges.