Come new session, PU’s hostel allotment likely be done online

While the online portal for PU hostel allotment was set up in 2019, it was not used after that session; students had continuously been pushing for the process to move back online.

With students raising the issue of obscure and inefficient hostel allotment at Panjab University (PU) from time to time, the varsity has decided to move online for the allotment of hostels from next academic session.

PU recently held a meeting where a decision in the favour of online hostel allotment was taken. (HT File)

A meeting was recently conducted under the chairpersonship of PU’s dean students welfare (DSW) Jatinder Grover, where a decision in the favour of online hostel allotment was taken.

“Through online mode, the hostel allotment will be speedy and easy for students. There will be a digital record of every resident available with the hostel warden, concerned department and the DSW office. This step will bring out transparency in the hostel allotment in the University,” Grover said.

While the online portal for hostel allotment was set up in 2019, it was not used after that session. The students, however, had continuously been pushing for the process to move back online.

A trial of the software will now be conducted by April-end and it is likely that some changes may be made to the online portal, which is expected to be ready for online allotments before the beginning of the next academic session.

Being a much-cheaper alternative to rented accommodation outside the campus, the PU hostels provide a living arrangement close to classrooms and are much-desired by the students. However, a demand-supply gap between the number of hostel rooms and applicants has always persisted.

Even after the portal was started in July, the students had still complained of the inefficient allotment by the varsity. The students are left to face varying problems during allotments every year, and have held protests in the past to demand efficiency in the process.

Nikhil Narmeta, a student leader of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), “Last time when the allotment was done in 2019 as well but that was efficient. After registrations, the students had to visit the DSW office to clear the waiting. If the university plans to conduct the allotment through an online portal from the next session, it should be more efficient and student-friendly.”

Narmeta also highlighted how a large number of students do not get hostel accommodation on campus given the limited number of hostels, adding that there was an urgent need to construct more hostels on campus.