New Delhi: Along with the admission race for admissions to various colleges of Delhi University (DU), students are preparing for another challenge — a suitable place to live.
Every year, the DU gets three lakh applications for admission in different courses offered by its colleges. Many of the applicants don’t belong to Delhi and hence apply for hostel accommodation. Although around 17 colleges offer on-Campus hostel facilities and 19 off-Campus hostels, it does not suffice to cater to the needs of meds students who are in lakhs.
According to DU sources, there are 9,000 hostel rooms to accommodate students. Those without allotted rooms have to rely on PGs and those who can’t even afford PGs, live in cramped and congested houses.
“Student wings such as ABVP and NSUI also raised the issue of hostel rooms and demanded reserved seats for students from outside Delhi in 2017 DUSU polls, but to no avail. Despite securing 95 per cent, the students are not getting hostel rooms and if they have a chance to get one, it takes months,” Hemant, a student, said.
Bhupesh, a third-year student in Physics Department of Kirori Mal College, said, “One of my friends from Bihar didn’t get a hostel room and for the past two years he is living in congested rooms in Burari which is around five km from the campus. The hostel allotment only depends on the merit and not on distance from the campus. Each department is allotted around four to five seats.”
Also, there is reservation for securing hostel rooms as part of DU admissions. Official DU website informs, “The allotment of seats in hostels to Scheduled Caste/Tribe Students should be based on the merit of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe”. It is further shared that, “only such students should be considered for hostel accommodation whose parents are not residing in Delhi”.
Apart from the above-mentioned reservation, some seats in hostels are reserved for students falling under the CW (Children and Widows of eligible Armed Forces Personnel) quota.
