Highlighting Hostel Issues amidst Fees Hike

With the increase in the fees of the Hostels in Jamia Millia Islamia, students have voiced out their concerns, highlighting the different problems they face as residents of the hostels. Hostel residents point out the absence of basic maintenance and facilities in the hostels and the failure of the authorities to meet the needs of the students. They demand for a decrease in the fees as well as to ensure that students are provided with a healthy and student friendly safe environment in their hostel residence.

Jamia Millia Islamia, a central university, recently announced another hike in the hostel fees that caused much chaos among the students. The increment amounted to a stunning 49.74% over the course of just 3 academic years. The fees in 2019 were Rs 29,300, which jumped to Rs. 41,350 in 2022 after the COVID lockdown. This year the administration increased it again amounting to Rs. 43,875.

After the publication of the notice, there was a strong pushback from the students. As the students rightly pointed out, Jamia Millia Islamia is a central university that has a student body where a lot of people come from economically backward classes. Many students struggle to pay their fees and juggle between universities and part time jobs. Their families back home are not in a strong financial condition to help pay such a hefty amount of fees. The students were disappointed with the increase in the hostel fees as they felt that the university had disregarded their concerns and aspirations.

Our team went out to interview the hostel residents to delve into the various problems they were facing. On talking with the students we found that the maintenance and services of the hostels were below average and not appropriate to the quality of services being given. One student from Aruna Asaf Ali Girls Hostel remarked, “I know the hostel gives us a place to live, but why make it so uncomfortable? They even removed the washing machines  from the manual as they couldn’t ” afford” new ones. Now, with all the college work we have, we also have to wash our clothes by hand. When students tried to talk about it, they were told to use a laundry service, as if we have trees that grow money.”

Many complained about the low and unhygienic conditions of the hostel food. Mohsin, a resident of BR Ambedkar Boys Hostel commented, “We all know that hostels and food don’t go well together. Particularly, the food quality in my hostel, BR Ambedkar Hostel, is comparatively worse than others. Its residents protested many times but there is not much difference.”

Another girl residing in J&K Girls Hostel, Sadia, revealed that she had gotten sick from the hostel food and had to be hospitalised for a whole week. Students have complained about finding insects in the food, and even shared pictures of glass shards being found in the food. Students have repeatedly complained to the caretakers and wardens about their problems but their words have been duly ignored over and over again. “When we complained about the food quality one day the warden justified that it only happened that day and that we should not ‘whine’ like this by blaming the entire mess food system,” a resident of Bi Amma Girls Hostel shared.

Several basic necessities of the hostel are not met including wifi, well functioning lifts and water coolers, sick rooms, washing machines, warm water during winters and water coolers during summers, and many more. Girls especially face a ban on late night entry and exit, and inaccessibility to the gym. There are no regular health checkups, proper common room, or well maintained reading halls. “They’ve increased the fees in the name of maintenance and services provided, when before Covid, way more services like room cleaning, washing machines, hot water direct from the solar heater, etc being provided at a lesser cost. Now, none of the above-mentioned amenities are being provided just because of the negligence of a few girls,” said Aaminah, a student residing in the Begum Hazrat Mahal Girls Hostel for the last 1.5 years. 

Boys hostel residents have informed that most rooms are made for double beds but the authorities have forced three beds. But the furnishings of the room are only for two people, causing much inconvenience for the students. Another student said that on rainy days, their rooms would get flooded even though he lives in a newly constructed hostel. During the winter season, residents of the Girls Hostels had come out last year to demand warm water during peak winter season. Even after that warm water was provided only on a scheduled time which amounted to a total of only about 4 hours on a weekday, morning and evening time included. And on weekends the warm water was provided from 9 am to 12 pm. The rest of the day the students had to make do with chilling cold water (information collected from J&K Girls Hostel). 

Residents of J&K Girls Hostel have also spoken up about a particular security guard who has repeatedly made the girls feel unsafe with his taunting comments and very intruding questions. A student said, “My brother had come to drop my sister and me off in the hostel. While leaving we gave each other a hug. The guard was giving us strange looks. For some reason he thought he was my boyfriend. He is like 12 years older to me, he is like 35 right now. And the guard was giving us looks and fighting with us over it.” Another student told the story of when the guard had asked her to show what she had bought which made her feel like a breach to her privacy. It is not new for students in Girls Hostel to feel that their privacy has been unfairly intruded upon. Girls have talked about many instances when the caretakers would barge into their rooms without knocking, sometimes even in the absence of the residents and go through their stuff.

Among these complaints and issues, Tanzeeha of Begum Hazrat Mahal Girls Hostel voiced, “We hope that even if they increase the price they can at least provide for our demands to be fulfilled.” Another resident of BR Ambedkar Boys Hostel, Qasim, said, “The facilities that should be provided according to the hostel fee are nonexistent. We hope the management will focus on this.”

After the students protested and wrote several applications to the hostel administration, a notice was issued stating that the fees would remain the same as in the sessions of 2022-23 and 2023-24. The administration has to back off in face of immense pressure from students. However, lingering issues of poor quality services, substandard living conditions,basic facilities and low maintenance prevail. This is not a conducive environment where a student can lead a fulfilling academic life. It is unbecoming of a premier institution like Jamia Millia Islamia to offer such poor housing services to its students. We call upon the Jamia administration to increase funding for hostels, ensure good quality food, proper living conditions and amenities so students can stay in a liveable, healthy and fruitful environment. 

Report by: Zakia, Nausheen and Sania from TJR.
Photos by: Junaid, Sania, Zakia, and Nausheen from TJR.