After admissions, DU students battle it out for accommodation

NEW DELHI: A matchbox like room, no windows, just a narrow low door and two people living, cooking and studying there. This isn''t a hypothetical situation. Thousands of Delhi University students, including women, are being forced to live in conditions like these due to lack of accredited rented accommodation or hostel facilities.
The University has about 20,000 outstation students on its rolls at any given time.Each year over 8,000 outstation students join DU at the undergraduate level alone. Despite the fact that student accommodation has been such a persistent problem for years, to date no results are visible on ground.
Two years ago, in wake of the increasing incidents of harassment of women students living alone, DUSU had made a list of all private hostels operating around North Campus area. The list was then given to university authorities for initiating "regularisation" of these hostels. The process seems to have lost steam.
"There isn''t any other option within my budget. Any other cheaper places are far away from the University and that affects my studies. The room is barely worth calling a room and I pay 1,500 per month for it, but what can I do," said a third year student of DU law faculty, Ravi Kumar (name changed) who lives in Christian Colony.
That students continue to be exploited is a fact that even the DU proctor, Shyam Menon agrees with. He, however, said: "There is no system by which the university can accredit hostels or rented accommodation. We have no jurisdiction over that. Meanwhile, many colleges have been writing to the UGC for funds to construct hostels."
When asked about the feasibility of the University helping private organisations or trusts to come forward and construct hostels for students he said: "It is not impossible. Especially if the government comes forward and allots land."
Pro-vice chancellor of DU, professor C R Babu was more cautious on the issue. He said that things are being done but such processes take time. As a bit of good news he added: "The former L-G had announced that all rooms that will be constructed for the Commonwealth Games will be handed over to us once the games are over to being converted into hostels."
Meanwhile, a lesser known initiative of constructing 100 student hostels across the city for students of both DU and IP University is also underway. Over 400 applications have been received by the four member committee, comprising a DDA nominee, a DU representative, an IP University representative and the director of higher education, Delhi government.