A screenshot with a picture of the J&K Hostel at the Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi has gone viral with a false claim that a “hostel in JNU” is offering accommodation to Muslim students free of cost.
Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi does not have a hostel named ‘J&K Hostel’ and neither does it give free accommodation to students of a particular religion.
Regarding the J&K Hostel in the JMI University, we found that it does not offer free accommodation or any preference to students on the basis of religion or state of residence.
CLAIM
The screenshot is being forwarded on WhatsApp, and has also been shared on Facebook and Twitter.
The screenshot claims: “This is not a five star hotel. This is hostel constructed by Congress government in 2012 for JNU students from J&K. It has 400 rooms. In this hostel no Hindus or other religion can stay. Islam students from JK will stay free of cost and study here on the cost our whole Indian tax payers money. (sic)”
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
With a reverse image search, we found that the image was shared by Youth President of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party, Waheed Ur Rahman, in April 2018, with the caption, “Much awaited J&K hostel at Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi is finally a reality.”
The name on the building in the viral photo also reads, “J&K Hostel, Jamia Millia Islamia.” Hence, the hostel is at the JMI University and not JNU as claimed.
WHAT DOES JMI’S HOSTEL MANUAL SAY?
We looked up JMI’s hostel manual which states that that the J&K Hostel is a “700-bedded hostel for bonafide female students.”
The eligibility criteria states that “seats are limited in the hostels, students whose parents/spouse reside and work in Delhi/NCR are not necessarily eligible for the hostel accommodation.”
It does not make any separate eligibility criteria for students of a particular religion or a region.
A priority may be given to “physically challenged students (not less than 40% of disability) certified by competent authority of a Govt. Hospital,” and 15 seats are earmarked for ‘Outstanding Sports Persons.’
The university does not provide the facility for free accommodation to any student, however, physically challenged students whose parents’ annual income is not above Rs.1.50 lakhs per annum are exempted from the payment of ‘Room Rent.’
HOSTEL HAS STUDENTS FROM ALL STATES, RELIGIONS: JMI PRO
Speaking to The Quint, the Public Relations Officer at JMI also rubbished the claims, calling them “completely false,” and “spread with the wrong intention.”
“Accommodation is provided purely on basis of merit. We also look at the candidate’s need in terms of distance and economic factors. J&K is just in the name but the hostel has students from all states and religions. Last year we had 70 non-Muslims in the J&K Hostel.”PRO, JMI University
NO FACILITY CALLED ‘J&K HOSTEL’ IN JNU
According to JNU’s website, there’s no hostel named ‘J&K Hostel’ in their campus.
The university makes no exceptions for students of any particular religion, however, SC/ST and physically handicapped students, “who are not in receipt of fellowships or scholarships and whose parents/guardians income is under Rs. 75,000 per annum,” are exempted from payment of hostel fee (room rent).
The Media Coordinator of JNU told The Quint that they had “no information regarding any such hostel,” when asked if the university provides free accommodation to Muslim students.
Evidently, social media users have falsely claimed that JNU and JMI offer free accommodation to Muslim students from J&K.
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