Why were students asked to vacate Rajiv Gandhi Hostel for Girls at Delhi University?

Students at the Rajiv Gandhi Hostel for Girls at Delhi University (DU) are protesting against the hostel's directive asking them to vacate the premises. The students say that they received an email from the administration declaring that the guest occupants must vacate by September 1, 2022, or pay a daily fine of Rs 200 per day. The protest was conducted today, September 8, at the DU Arts Faculty, and saw the participation of student groups such as the All India Students Association (AISA).

The roughly 200 guest students say that they were not given enough time to figure out alternate living arrangements, given that their exams ended only around August 31, and classes for the next semester began immediately after. The students just completed their Semester II exams. They claim that since the hostel has around 700 seats, it can accommodate a fresh batch of students without asking the current residents to vacate. 

Regular procedure, says official 
However, the hostel office claims that they were following DU's regular procedure regarding hostel accommodation. "We were asked to accommodate guest residents from July this year for a couple of months due to pandemic-related issues. That period ended, and now we have to vacate and make arrangements for the fresh batch of students who will be coming once the admissions are done for the next academic year. This is a routine procedure, and the guest students will also be required to submit applications to continue to reside here as regular residents. The selection is done on merit," NS Bisht, an RGHG official told EdexLive. 

Students also claim that they are being harassed by the hostel administration. "The Provost is authoritarian. She notes down the names of students who raise questions during meetings and tells students not to teach her how to run her hostel. She is mentally harassing the students. Also, while the curfew timings are 10.00 pm, if we are late, we are required to fill out forms, and they ask us if our parents are aware that we are coming back late," claims one resident of the hostel on the condition of anonymity. 

Students also allege that they were told by the hostel administration they will not be asked to vacate if they are ready to pay a higher fee. In a reply to the hostel's Provost Poonam Silotia's email, a student, Anushka Srivatsava said, "The email seems to withdraw from the authorities' previous stance in the last meeting held by the Provost that claimed that students will be allowed to stay in the hostel 15 days after the release of the first list. Now, that consolation has also been evaded. The pandemic has interfered with our calendar as much as the calendar of the hostel, so the least that we, as students, expect from the institution is cooperation and requests more aware[ness] of the prescribed calendar."

"A Hostel Management Committee meeting will be called tomorrow to take further decision regarding this matter, given the concerns highlighted by the students," NS Bisht added.