DUSU launches WhatsApp helpline for students to report unsafe spots on campus

DUSU president Yash Dabas launched a WhatsApp helpline for DU students to report unsafe, poorly lit spots with geo-tagged photos for action.

Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) president Yash Dabas has launched a WhatsApp helpline for students to report unsafe or poorly lit spots across the university’s campuses by sharing geo-tagged photographs.

The head of the elected students’ body said on Friday that it would take up these concerns with the relevant authorities and push for measures to address them.

The initiative comes amid student protests over women’s safety following the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old school student at gunpoint inside the 142-acre Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Temple on Monday. The Class 7 girl was visiting the park with a 17-year-old male friend on her 17th birthday when the crime took place at around 7.15pm-7.30pm.

The incident has brought women’s safety into sharp focus and triggered student protests demanding better safety infrastructure, including well-lit public streets, the deployment of police personnel at pink booths, and increased police patrolling around college campuses.

“If any student comes across a dark or unsafe spot on or around the university campus, they can share a geo-tagged photograph of the location with us on our WhatsApp helpline at 8448157333 launched by us,” Dabas said.

“We will assess whether the spot requires the installation of CCTV cameras or streetlights, or repairs to existing infrastructure, and accordingly approach the concerned authorities to get the issue resolved,” Dabas added.

The helpline is for all students enrolled in any of the affiliated DU colleges and departments, irrespective of their affiliation with the elected students’ body.

Amid protests over the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old school student at a park in the Kalkaji area, police registered an FIR on Thursday after two Delhi University (DU) students were allegedly stalked and sexually harassed by four men in an SUV near Hakikat Park in north Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar area on Wednesday night.

Several student protests have taken place across the university’s North and South campuses, demanding safer public spaces and stringent action against sexual harassment.

Gargi Shukla is a correspondent with Hindustan Times. She reports on schools, colleges and issues that affect students, teachers, parents, and educational institutions in India's capital. She closely tracks the political economy of education, student politics, and policy developments shaping the sector in Delhi. She earlier worked as a sub editor with Outlook Business.Read More