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‘Matchbox rooms’: NLSIU Bengaluru students allege severe overcrowding in hostels, hold massive protest
Protesting NLSIU Bengaluru students spoke to HT.com about severe overcrowding, safety lapses, and a "crammed" hostel life.
"Crammed like sardines" - this is how a student at National Law School of India University (NLSIU) described her current residential reality while speaking to HT.com following a massive campus blowout. Students allege they are bearing the brunt of the university’s overcrowded hostels. That, coupled with a series of safety lapses, including a lift free-falling two floors and reports of sexual harassment due to inadequate boundary walls, has led the student body to issue a 24-hour ultimatum to the administration, demanding immediate accountability and structural reform.
Allegations of overcrowding:
A student, who doesn’t want to be named, alleged that a rapid expansion policy initiated in 2021 has led to a population explosion that the 1980s-era campus cannot sustain.
"The rooms are like matchboxes. Because of the bunk beds, we can't use ceiling fans, and the table fans they provided have actually fallen off the walls,” one female student told HT.com on condition of anonymity.
According to the female student, the hygiene crisis is equally dire. In the Yamuna hostel, one of the six hostels for women, approximately 36 women share just three washroom stalls. "Managing hygiene and menstruation without consistent water is a nightmare.”
Safety lapses, construction hazards allegations:
The students alleged that the issues extended beyond accommodation and hygiene. The campus is currently an active construction site, which students claim has led to several near-misses. In mid-April, a concrete slab reportedly fell three floors from the New Academic Block (NAB) just 20 minutes before classes were set to begin.
In another incident, a lift fell two floors in a men's hostel. There are also allegations of concrete chunks falling from ceilings in hostels. Further, students claim inadequate boundary walls leading to instances of trespassing and sexual harassment of female residents.
Read the full protest statement:
We, the students of NLSIU are protesting as there has been a continuing range of residence life issues, particularly concerning the Women's Hostel, the latest being the complete lack of water supply in the hostel for multiple hours and erratic supply for multiple days. Students are forced to live in inhumane conditions with concerns being unheard for months with no concrete measures being undertaken.
Students have been gathered at the basketball court and have been protesting for over four hours. Despite repeated demands and requests from the students, the Vice Chancellor has not come to address them.
We are prepared to continue the protest until the Vice Chancellor meets the students and provides concrete, student-friendly solutions to the issues being faced by them.
How did the management respond?
One student said that the Vice Chancellor didn’t talk to the students during the midnight protest on May 13. However, he later agreed to an “Open House” with the students.
A student told HT.com that initially, the VP wanted to speak only to female students, but later agreed to meet everyone, on the condition that he would answer only questions from female students.
The individual added that during the meeting, the VC said, “I was told that I only have to listen to the questions, so here I am, to listen. I will not answer any questions right now. I will respond in writing in a phased way in the next 7-10 days.”
According to minutes of the meeting shared with HT.com, the VC allegedly appeared late to the “Open House” and walked out only after 40 minutes, after previously agreeing to have a one-hour session with the students.
A student alleged, “The VC was repeatedly on his phone while the women were speaking,” and “walked away while the women were speaking.”
HT.com has reached out to NLSIU. However, the emails and phone calls are yet to be answered. This report will be updated when the institute responds.
Students demand accountability:
Following the “Open House”, the NLSIU student body sent an email titled, “Student Body Response to Open-House and Demand for Engagement” on May 13.
“We write on behalf of the student body present at today's open house. At the very outset, we wish to clarify: while this began as a WHOR-led protest[Women's Halls of residence], it is now a campus-wide movement with issues from, and participants from, all hostels. We were deeply disappointed by how our concerns were handled today. You claimed you were present to listen, yet no questions were answered and you committed only to a written reply in 7–10 days. These issues have been raised through tickets and hall leaders for months. This timeline is unacceptable,” read a part of the email.
Protest continues:
As of Thursday morning, May 14, the students staged another protest, demanding resolutions to water shortages, power cuts, and overcrowded hostel facilities. The protest demanding answers from the management took place around 11 am.
The accommodation details:
There are different hostels for men and women. According to the official website, the men's hostels are Ganga, Cauvery, Himalaya, Hoogly, and Brahmaputra. The hostels for female students are: Nilgiris, Narmada, Yamuna, Gangotri, Vindhyas (Annexe block) and Annapurna (Mess Block).
The university website says that students residing in hostels are provided with basic items such as a cupboard, chair, desk, cot, and mattress. There are facilities like hot water, laundry, 24*7 electricity and internet connectivity.
One student, however, told HT.com, “No to 24*7 electricity and internet. Various and multiple interruptions almost every day recently.” He added, “I think common facilities and common spaces, dining space and parking are bare minimum to be given by any college.”
A student shared that, according to data he claimed to have received from management, men’s residences have a total of 519 beds, while women’s residences have 437. The accommodation types consist of “2 beds,” “3 beds cubical”, “non-bunk 3 bed,” and “bunk three bed.”
What are the accommodation fees?
A student, who wants to remain anonymous, shared a fee structure for the BALLB batch, which shows an annual “Housing Fee” of ₹1,32,800 across all categories.
Concerns over the incoming batch:
A first-year student told HT.com, “Please mention that due to over-expansion, there is talk of incoming first-year students, young girls aged 17,18,19 to off-campus residence, which is not safe,” adding, “The plan of constructing new hostels will be complete by the time we graduate.” She continued, “We are paying exorbitantly high fees for facilities we won't avail.”
