50-km hostel eligibility rule: Over 300 female PG students without accommodation at KU

Srinagar, Nov 10: More than 300 female postgraduate students at the University of Kashmir have been left without hostel accommodation under the existing 50-kilometre eligibility rule, prompting students and parents to seek the intervention of the Chancellor and demand an urgent review of the policy.
The students said the present criterion, under which those whose permanent residences fall within 50 kilometres of the University are ordinarily ineligible for hostel accommodation, has placed them in a difficult situation, forcing them to undertake exhausting daily journeys even when their academic commitments extend into the evening.
They argued that geographical distance alone cannot determine the need for hostel accommodation, particularly for female students who have to attend practical classes, laboratory sessions, research work and other academic activities beyond regular university hours.
Shaiza Aslam, a postgraduate student from Khansahib in Budgam, said she lives around 47 kilometres from the University’s Main Campus and was denied the opportunity to apply for hostel accommodation because of the existing eligibility restriction.
“It is injustice with us. We reach our residences very late in the evening after attending classes and completing academic activities at the University,” she said, appealing to the Chancellor to intervene.
The financial burden of private accommodation has further compounded the problem for families unable to afford rental expenses near the campus.
A parent from Airzal, Beerwah, said his daughter reaches home at around 7 pm after attending university activities. He said he had explored the possibility of arranging rented accommodation for her at Nigeen Lane, Hazratbal, but the landlord demanded Rs 10,000 per month for a room.
“Being a farmer, how can I afford such a huge amount?” he asked, suggesting that the eligibility distance for female students be reduced from 50 kilometres to 40 kilometres so that those facing genuine commuting difficulties could be considered for accommodation.
Another postgraduate student from the Department of Chemistry said Science students deserved special consideration in hostel allotment because their academic programmes involve extensive practical work, laboratory sessions and research activities that frequently require them to remain on campus for longer hours.
She said adequate practical exposure was essential to science education and that students should not be compelled to choose between fulfilling their academic requirements and managing difficult daily commutes.
Students and parents have demanded that the University review the existing hostel policy and introduce suitable relaxation for female postgraduate students, particularly those enrolled in Science departments and programmes involving extended practical schedules.
Beyond an immediate policy review, parents have called for a substantial expansion of hostel infrastructure. One parent suggested that the University approach the Jammu and Kashmir Government for financial assistance to construct a mega Girls’ Hostel with a capacity of around 1,000 rooms, on the lines of the hostel infrastructure developed by the National Institute of Technology.
They said such a facility would offer a long-term solution to the accommodation shortage and reduce the financial and logistical difficulties faced by female students coming from different parts of Kashmir.
The students and parents have appealed to the Chancellor and the University administration to take cognizance of their concerns, reconsider the 50-kilometre restriction and initiate measures to ensure that deserving female students are not deprived of residential facilities because of an inflexible distance-based criterion. [KNT]