Unrest simmering among women residents of DU hostel

For DU’s resident post-graduate women scholars, any research work comes to a grinding halt at the stroke of 8pm. The 300-odd students who live in the University Hostel for Women (UHW) have to drop all academic pursuits and be back in the hostel to abide by rules laid down in 1970.

For DU’s resident post-graduate women scholars, any research work comes to a grinding halt at the stroke of 8pm. The 300-odd students who live in the University Hostel for Women (UHW) have to drop all academic pursuits and be back in the hostel to abide by rules laid down in 1970.

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While the infrastructure within the hostel is also abysmal, students have ceased to care about that. Instead, it is the attitude of the hostel authorities that has now got their goat. “It is the autocratic nature of the hostel authorities that needs to be checked. Whenever we have tried to protest against this, the wardens have gone to the extent of calling up our parents,” said Maya John, a resident.

Women residents can stay out only for seven nights in a month and get only eight night-outs for which the department needs to countersign permission forms. Students said that this rule interfered with their research work and experimentation.

They are now threatening to protest to bring the matter to Vice-Chancellor’s (V-C) notice. “We will protest at his office. He may have promised us infrastructure facilities, but he is unaware about our situation. There is very little student representation on the hostel’s management committee,” added John.

DU authorities, however, remain tight-lipped on the matter. “I am not aware of any unrest among hostel residents. However, as far as infrastructure conditions go, the hostel will soon be renovated by August,” said Dinesh Singh, DU’s V-C.