Delhi govt to inspect 100 PGs, considers mandatory CCTV backup under proposed rules

New Delhi: The Delhi government will inspect 100 suspected cases of paying guest (PG) accommodations over the next three days and is considering making CCTV cameras with 40-45 days of recording backup mandatory at entry and exit points and common areas under the proposed regulations for student housing.

The decision was taken at the second meeting of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) on Student Accommodation and Safety, chaired by Education Minister Ashish Sood on Thursday, as the government works on a regulatory framework for PGs and hostels in the national capital.

The joint inspection teams of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will examine the 100 identified cases for compliance with safety standards and existing legal requirements, according to the decisions taken at the meeting.


The Delhi University and MCD will conduct an initial test of the portal within the next 2-4 days, after which the government plans to launch a campaign for student registration, a statement said.

It stated that the proposed CCTV requirement will cover entry and exit points and common areas of PG accommodations, while ensuring that students' private spaces are not monitored. The proposal is part of efforts to strengthen safety standards for student accommodations.

The government is also working on an online portal to map student accommodations across Delhi and collect basic information about where students are staying. The initial version of the portal will capture details such as the number of rooms and basic amenities and is intended to be kept simple for its rollout, it said.

A sub-committee comprising representatives of the DDA, MCD, Delhi government and Delhi University Vice-Chancellor will examine provisions of the Master Plan and the DMC Act that may be creating difficulties in the legal operation of PG accommodations, it said and added the panel will also study the possibility of allowing legal PG operations within a 5-6 km radius of major educational hubs and in group housing societies and RWA areas, with necessary relaxations in applicable norms.

The HPC was constituted following the incident in Satya Niketan to work towards a comprehensive regulatory framework for PG accommodations and hostels in Delhi. The second meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including officials from the DDA, MCD, Delhi Police and universities.

Sood said the proposed portal would help the government know where students are living and in what kind of accommodation, enabling better regulation of PGs and student housing.

He said the sub-committee would examine restrictions under the Master Plan and DMC Act and consider possible changes in standards to facilitate safe and legal PG operations.

"We will soon bring PG regulations and laws to streamline this system. We are committed to providing safe and affordable housing and we are working rapidly towards it," Sood said.

The HPC will meet again after Dussehra to review the sub-committee's report and finalise the draft regulatory framework for PGs and student, according to the statement.