Delhi govt planning to reopen hostels for underprivileged students: Indraj

Delhi’s Minister for SC/ST/OBC Welfare Ravinder Indraj Singh, who undertook inspection at the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, Delhi Government Senior Secondary Residential School, located in Isapur village, Najafgarh, on Thursday, held detailed discussions with concerned officials and locals about Delhi government’s educational and residential welfare schemes for students.

Speaking on the occasion, he said due to the negligence of the previous government, several hostels meant for school and college students across Delhi were shut down. He said corruption cases were reported in coaching the institutes meant to prepare students for competitive examinations.

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Officials informed that the school at Isapur was established specifically for SC, OBC, minority, and orphan students, where free residential facilities, meals, uniforms, stationery, and medical services were provided. To ensure holistic development of students, vocational training and sports facilities were also made available on the campus. However, in September 2024, the school was closed due to the poor condition of the building and lack of adequate financial support from the previous government. The residential school, which had a capacity of about 1200 students, had nearly 800 students enrolled at the time of its closure.

During the inspection, Indraj stated that the government’s objective is to provide quality education and a safe residential environment for children from underprivileged sections of society. “The Delhi government is actively working on plans to reopen closed hostels and construct new ones for students,” he said.

The minister added that a hostel for visually impaired college girls was inaugurated in Timarpur during the Sewa Pakhwada, and apart from reopening the Sanskar Ashram in Dilshad Garden, the government also plans to establish one hostel in each district of Delhi.