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Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi has resumed its offline classes and most students have begun attending classes in person. But due to the unavailability of hostel facilities, outstation students are struggling to find accommodation.
I met some of the students studying at the central university to understand the issues they are facing.
Ayesha, a Bachelor's student from the department of Turkish Language and Literature, who hails from Gaya in Bihar, says:
Several students, especially women, complained about the facilities at paying-guest accommodations.
"I come from Bihar. I, personally, faced a problem. Recently, at around 3 am, I was feeling unwell. It got very difficult for me to get an auto-rickshaw. If I was staying at a hostel, I would have gotten help easily from students and wardens, and the first-aid facilities would have also been available," says Dilnasheen Arzoo, a Bachelor's student.
When Jamia was providing hostel facilities, it used to charge us around Rs 7,500, annually, while a basic flat in nearby localities would be around Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month, along with an additional security deposit, which is usually shared among 2-3 students.
In my conversation with these students, I realised that not many of them come from financially sound families; so, for them, it gets difficult.
Sufiyan Ali, who comes from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, told me that before taking admissions at Jamia Millia Islamia, he didn't know anyone in Delhi and had a very hard time finding a place to stay.
To understand the problems these students were facing, I went to Abul Fazal Enclave, a nearby locality where some students reside in rented flats. I went inside a very small space converted into a 2BHK apartment. Everything was very cramped.
And since the flat was in a residential locality, students complain that it is very disturbing for them while they are studying, as it is very noisy.
Students demand that the hostel facilities be resumed at the earliest and that the number of rooms be increased.
"The hostels were closed for two years, so it needs renovation. Also, we are constructing two more floors on top of the existing hostel building. So, it's not safe to allot the hostel rooms in the present condition. We hope to reopen the hostel by 15 November," said Prof. Nizam Jafri, Registrar, Jamia Millia Islamia.
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