From WiFi to AC, new­-age hostels have it all

MUMBAI: Laundry service, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, furnished rooms with kitchens – this is what new-age for students coming up in the Juhu-Andheri belt have on offer

MUMBAI: Laundry service, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, furnished rooms with kitchens – this is what new-age for students coming up in the Juhu-Andheri belt have on offer for a fee in the range of Rs2 lakh-Rs6 lakh a year.

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While the University of Mumbai has only a handful of hostels, less than 10 colleges in the city offer hostel facilities, which is inadequate for thousands of students who come to Mumbai to study, said college principals. At least 30 buildings in the upmarket Juhu Scheme have been redesigned according to students’ needs. Each building can accommodate 50-150 students each. “Every second building that has come up in the area in the past couple of years has been converted into a hostel. This is a home away from home, with the best of amenities. Every room has been designed keeping in mind the comfort of students,” said Chander Matta, owner of Bright Youth Hostels, which runs five facilities in Juhu Scheme, Vile Parle and Andheri.

“As most colleges don’t offer accommodation on campus, students are turning to these newage hostels. Safety is more important than the cost of living,” said Vijay Joshi, principal of KJ Somaiya College in Vidyavihar.

The Somaiya group of institutes has two hostels that accommodate close to 1,000 students each, despite which some students have to look for accommodation outside. “Earlier, we got outstationed students only for medical and management courses. Now, we get students from other states and universities even for commerce and arts,” said Joshi.

“Students prefer these places as they are closer to the campus, cutting down on their commute time,” said Poonam Vora, owner of Women Intern and Student Housing group, which runs 25 facilities in Juhu Scheme housing students from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka and West Bengal. Some students are from the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Vile Parle and Juhu Scheme are preferred locations because the areas are quiet, safe and residential. “Many parts of town are not only expensive, but are also unsafe after 7pm,” said Matta.

Parents approve of the arrangement as they get to monitor their movement, with rules prohibiting men from entering places meant only for women and time limit.

“This is the first time I’m living on my own, so my parents wanted to make sure I live closer to college and also live well. My mother is happy knowing that I’m not starving and that there’s a woman warden here 24x7. While the food is not as good as my mother’s, at least I don’t have to cook myself,” said Pinali Mehta, 19, a Hyderabad resident, who is doing a Bachelor of Mass Media course at UPG College, Vile Parle.

Pinali shares a 3-BHK flat converted into a mini-hostel with seven girls, each paying almost Rs3 lakh a year.

“The building is just five minutes away from college. I don’t have to depend on public transport or bother about pothole-ridden roads,” she said.