Panjab University students in dilemma over hostel allotment

While most departments have completed hostel allocation, many students are still awaiting the merit list for allotment; students’ union wants hostel management system portal to be re-activated

Even as Panjab University (PU) has started the staggered reopening of the campus, some students are facing problems with getting hostel accommodation. The university has resumed physical classes for only final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students so far, but offline classes for all students are scheduled to start within March.

Classes have already started at Panjab University, Chandigarh, but there is no clarity on who will be allotted hostel accommodation. Students are in a dilemma about whether to take accommodation outside the campus or not. (HT file photo)

While most departments have completed hostel allocation, students of some departments are still facing problems. Some say they are waiting for the merit list for hostel allocation, leaving them in a dilemma. They said that departments have been allotted fewer seats this time.

A first-year PG student of the history department said, “Classes have already started, but there is no clarity on who will be allotted the hostel. We are in a dilemma about whether to take accommodation outside the university campus or not.”

“Students are facing problems in getting hostel accommodation and we haven’t received a notice regarding allotment so far. We are not clear about what to do now,” said a UG second year student of law department, whose classes are likely to start in the coming days.

For undergraduate (UG) courses, fourth-year students of five-year courses; third-year students of four-year courses; second-year students of three-year courses and first-year students of two-year courses, physical classes will start from March 10.

Members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) have also demanded that the online portal for the hostel management system be re-activated. NSUI member Mukul Chauhan said that students are not properly assisted in getting the hostel accommodation.

PU’s dean students’ welfare (DSW) Jagtar Singh said, “We have distributed the allocated seats to all departments now. There are certain seats which will accommodate the increased PhD enrolments and to the students with special needs. If these seats are not taken, they will be allocated to the departments to accommodate more students”. He also said that this will be reviewed after some time.