Delhi University Students Use Social Media Reels to Highlight Urgent Infrastructure Problems

The concerns raised by the students are not without basis. In May, part of the North Campus’ Botany Department lab ceiling collapsed, injuring a first-year student. In April, students at Deshbandhu College staged protests over issues including faulty washrooms, deteriorating classrooms, and a non-functional kitchen.

According to Aryan Maan, DUSU President, the humour flooding social media timelines reflects a problem that is far more serious than jokes suggest. “DU mein infrastructure ki kaafi kami hai. At the Faculty of Law, classes are held in old, deteriorating porta cabins. Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College (ASRD) has already had a fire in one such structure, yet they remain in use. This is no longer just an infrastructure issue; it is dangerous.”

Ask students why they have taken to social media and the answer is simple: it gets attention. “Sometimes the ceiling falls, sometimes the fans don’t work. There’s no water in washrooms, and the AC doesn’t function. We raised these issues with the administration, but no one paid heed. So we decided to do it our own way,” says Manisha, the student behind the viral reel and a final-year student of BCom (Hons) at ASRD.

For others, the reel route is already delivering results. “It was so hot, but the water coolers weren’t working. I made a reel, and many students shared it. Now the administration says they’re getting them fixed,” shares Aashna Chandra, a second-year student at Deshbandhu College.

Our efforts to reach out to the varsity’s Engineering Department were met with no response till the time of going to the press.