Inside India’s Residential Universities: How Safe Are Students?

Recent student unrest observed inside private universities’ premises in India, amid speculations surrounding alleged sexual misconduct involving female students and suicide-related reports, has once again drawn attention to students’ safety and security measures at educational institutions and residential universities.The developments have gained momentum amid the circulation of unverified claims on social media platforms involving two private institutions — Lovely Professional University (LPU) and Chitkara University. At LPU, students are reportedly protesting over claims that a female student was sexually assaulted inside the college hostel, while at Chitkara University, two female students have reportedly gone missing, with students claiming that they may have died by suicide.Although these claims remain unverified, their circulation and the resulting student unrest have raised questions about how prepared residential universities are to protect students, handle complaints and maintain trust when serious concerns emerge on campus.The issue also brings renewed attention to other cases that have previously raised concerns about safety in educational institutions. In 2024, the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata triggered widespread concerns over the safety of women in medical institutions. Earlier, in 2023, a female student at IIT-BHU in Varanasi was allegedly sexually assaulted near the campus, leading to scrutiny of campus security and the institutional response.The flow of such unsubstantiated claims does not establish a pattern across institutions. However, they highlight the need to examine the systems that residential universities have in place to protect students’ safety.The Need For Stronger Campus Safety Measures According to the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24, India’s education system caters to nearly 4.5 crore students, many of whom rely regularly on institutional infrastructure for their academic needs. If students lack a sense of security and inside hostels, classrooms, libraries, and other spaces located within campus, it undermines their confidence and faith in the institution.Therefore, ensuring safety requires more than simply having security infrastructure in place. It involves multiple layers, from physical infrastructure and access controls to complaint mechanisms and transparent communication during a crisis.Physical Safety: Hostels, Access Control And Surveillance The first layer is physical safety. Residential universities may use CCTV cameras, security personnel, controlled entry and exit points, hostel wardens, visitor-management systems, campus lighting, emergency contact mechanisms and access restrictions in residential areas as part of their safety arrangements. The effectiveness of these measures depends on how consistently they are implemented and monitored. A recent study by Kurukshetra University examining women’s safety concerns on college campuses identified inadequate CCTV coverage and surveillance as among the concerns that can leave certain areas vulnerable to safety risks.Thus, proper implementation and regular monitoring of these safety measures have become equally important.  The institutions must ensure that security personnel are deployed with adequate and clearly defined response protocols. Similarly, hostel and campus entry systems need a clear distinction between authorised residents, visitors, contractors, and other personnel.Lighting and emergency contact systems also need to be accessible in areas students use regularly, including hostels, pathways and other less populated parts of a campus. Periodic safety audits can help institutions identify gaps rather than relying only on infrastructure already in place.Institutional Safety And Redressal Physical Security is only one part of campus safety. The second concerns what happens when a student faces harassment, intimidation, or another safety-related concern.Does the student know whom to approach? Is there a clear mechanism for making a complaint? What happens after a complaint is submitted? And can the student seek help if the concern involves someone in a position of authority?Universities are expected to have mechanisms for addressing complaints, including Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) in matters covered by the applicable sexual-harassment framework. The effectiveness of such mechanisms, however, depends on whether students know that these channels exist and can access them without unnecessary barriers.The Kurukshetra study also reported that 85 per cent of respondents had experienced or witnessed dismissive attitudes after harassment was reported, raising concerns about how students’ complaints are received and addressed.Universities need to ensure that students clearly know where and how they can report a concern, including through mechanisms such as Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) and other designated complaint channels. These mechanisms should be easily accessible, with clear information on whom to approach, what happens after a complaint is made and how the matter can be escalated if required.Sometimes, fear around power imbalance, social stigma, or concerns about the consequences of reporting to keep students from coming forward.This is where protection against retaliation becomes relevant. Students need clear information about the safeguards available to them after raising a complaint, including how confidentiality is handled and whom they can approach if they believe they are facing adverse treatment because they reported an issue.The central question, therefore, is not merely whether an ICC or complaint mechanism exists on paper. It is whether students understand how to use it, whether the process is accessible, whether complaints are handled through defined procedures and whether students have access to appropriate support throughout the process.Trust And Crisis Communication The third layer is trust.When an allegation, or other serious concern begins circulating on social media, information spreads rapidly before institutions have established the facts. In such circumstances, universities must balance the need for timely communication with privacy, due process, and any ongoing investigation.Institutional communication should clearly distinguish between verified information, allegations and claims that have not been established. At the same time, students need practical information: whom they can contact, what immediate safety measures are available, and what process the institution is following to address the concern.The absence of timely and credible communication can leave students dependent on social media posts, messages, and informal accounts for information. This can increase uncertainty, particularly when different versions of an incident are circulating.For residential universities, crisis communication is therefore closely connected with campus safety. A response does not necessarily require institutions to comment on information that cannot yet be verified. It does require them to communicate responsibly about what is known, what remains under investigation, and what students should do if they need help. Mental Health And Student Wellbeing Campus safety also needs to account for students’ mental health and emotional wellbeing. Academic pressure, social isolation, harassment, conflicts or other distressing experiences can affect students’ ability to cope, making timely access to mental health support an important part of a residential university’s safety framework. Research has consistently shown that early mental health interventions and counselling support can help reduce psychological distress and suicide-risk behaviours among young people, underscoring the importance of making these services readily available on campus.Accessible counselling, awareness initiatives and clear escalation mechanisms can help students seek assistance when they are struggling and ensure that concerns are addressed before they become more serious.How These Safety Gaps Affect India’s Education Ecosystem Concerns about campus safety have implications beyond individual incidents. When allegations of crime, harassment, or other serious safety concerns emerge at an educational institution, it puts authenticity of the entire education system in question.The developments at LPU and Chitkara, while involving claims that remain subject to verification, provide an immediate context for examining these systems across residential universities. They serve as a reminder that even as the country moves closer to gender parity in education, ensuring safety, dignity and trust on campuses remains an unfinished task that the education system cannot afford to ignore. The broader question is not only whether universities have security infrastructure or formal complaint mechanisms. It is whether students know these systems exist, trust them enough to use them and receive clear information when a serious concern emerges.