DU reopening: Outstation students complain of high PG rents, mismanagement

Though Delhi University (DU) has finally decided to switch back to offline classes, which began from today, February 17, not everyone is happy. 

Students who reside outside of Delhi are complaining that it was on very short notice that the varsity asked them to get back to campus and due to the rush, PG rent has touched unreasonable heights, stated a report in PTI. 

It was on February 9 that DU put out a notification with regards to the resumption of offline classes from February 17.  

READ ALSO : DU student tries to set himself ablaze during protest to reopen varsity. Here's what happened

Even those students who did manage to find a place in the hostels of the university are no better of. Many hostels are under repair and students have no option but to look for another accommodation.

A student of Kirori Mal College told PTI how hostel rooms are given on a merit basis so though hostel allotment is underway, seats are limited and only a few students get them. 

Aditi Jain, a 24-year-old first-year student of Master's in English, shared how though they asked for hybrid classes, their demand was refused and the exam is in the next 20 days. All this is just additional pressure, Aditi said. 

Mamatha Rose from Kerala, an 18-year-old student, shared, “They earlier informed us you have to come to Delhi. But two days back they told us you can take online classes. I mean, there is so much mismanagement. We had already booked the tickets and my friend and her father helped us book a PG. They did not give us enough time to shift. Today, I am unable to take online classes because I need to shift. They should have provided us with accommodation facilities,” Rose said.

Osheeen, a second-year student pursuing BA, spoke about the desperate situation, unreasonable rents set by landlords and added that even the rate of domestic flight tickets is high.    

Gauri, a third-year English Honours student, shared how a few of her classmates are missing out on classes because the option for online mode is not available to them. "PG owners are taking advantage of the situation and asking students triple the amount of actual rent. They are asking for Rs 16,000 for a triple-seater room. This is too much,” she added.

Final-year UG and PG outstation students of DU have even started an online petition asking the varsity not to reopen the college when just two months are left for the session to conclude. The petition is addressed to the vice-chancellor, registrar, proctor, and dean of students' welfare.