08 September,2026 02:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sonu Sood. Pic via Instagram
Actor Sonu Sood recently called for urgent changes in student accommodation following the tragic incident where a five-storey building collapsed in Delhi. The incident has reportedly claimed seven lives. The actor, highlighted the shortage of hostel facilities in the capital, while questioning whether students who move away from home to pursue their education and dreams are being provided with safe places to live.
Taking to X on Tuesday, September 8, Sonu Sood expressed sorrow over the tragedy. In his post, he also drew attention to the problem of inadequate student housing, highlighting that there is a huge gap between the number of students studying in Delhi and the availability of hostel accommodation.
He wrote, "Every year, lakhs of students leave their homes to chase a dream in another city. But are we giving them a safe place to live? In Delhi, around 7 lakh students are enrolled, while hostel capacity is barely 30,000 - just 1 in 31 gets a hostel."
The actor, who was recently seen carrying out on-ground relief work in Nepal, also suggested that vacant government land near universities could be used for student hostels.
He added, "Why not identify vacant government land around universities and allow/build safe, affordable student hostels there? Universities could also be given additional building permissions to create more on-campus accommodation."
Explaining its benefits, Sood said, "Students get safety. Parents get peace of mind. Universities and governments generate revenue. And, most importantly, we protect lives. Sometimes, a small change in policy can protect someone's biggest dream (sic)," he concluded.
For the unversed, a boys' paying guest accommodation in Delhi's Satya Niketan, near Delhi University's South Campus collapsed at around 1:30 pm on September 6. The five-storey PG accommodation was located in a congested lane near a Shiv temple in the RK Puram-Moti Bagh area.
As per the locals and officials, the building was being used as student accommodation, with around 15 rooms and two to three students staying in each room. By Tuesday morning, reports suggested around seven as rescue teams continued searching through the heavy debris.
