Bengaluru, September 4: Students at Dayananda Sagar University (DSU) have staged protests over inadequate hostel facilities at the S-Residency Girls Hostel. The demonstrations took place on August 26 and 31, highlighting issues such as a month-long Wi-Fi outage, lack of hot water in the mornings, poor drinking water quality, cleanliness concerns, and mosquito infestations.
During the protest on August 26, around 300-350 girls raised complaints about power fluctuations, leaking pipelines, malfunctioning lifts, and empty vending machines. The students voiced their grievances to the warden at approximately 9:30 PM, focusing on the lack of hot water.
Incident with Boys’ Hostel
During the protests, some boys from the nearby boys’ hostel threw eggs and firecrackers, which the students claimed diverted attention from their complaints regarding hostel facilities. The students were promised that some issues would be resolved by August 30, but they reported insufficient improvements, leading to a renewed protest on August 31 that included both boys and girls.
The students are demanding better facilities, improved management, and a conducive living environment in the hostel.
Concerns Over Hostel Rules
In addition to facility complaints, the girls raised questions about the differing rules for boys and girls’ hostels, with a 9:30 PM entry limit for girls and a 10 PM limit for boys. They also expressed dissatisfaction with restrictions on outside food and the use of electric kettles.
University’s Response
The DSU management addressed the students’ complaints, stating that the hostel building is new and that the contractor is currently working on resolving the issues. Regarding the incident of eggs being thrown, the management clarified that it was unrelated to hostel management and that responsible students would be identified through CCTV footage.
Previous Protests in Surat
Earlier, protests had also occurred at the government Samras Girls Hostel in Surat, which began on September 1 due to complaints about poor food quality, water supply issues, and inadequate living conditions. Students sang ‘Ramdhun’ and vowed to continue their protests until their demands were met, with one student highlighting the presence of insects in the food and other ongoing problems.
Calls for CCTV Installation
Deepika Kachot, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Bhavnagar, alleged that students in the girls’ hostel had found plastic and cigarette butts in their food. She emphasized the poor water quality, noting that only two or three floors of the nine-story hostel receive water.
Kachot also called for the installation of CCTV cameras around the hostel premises, citing harassment faced by students when they leave the hostel for college.
Issues with Warden’s Behavior
One student reported that when they requested permission to go home, the warden treated them poorly and did not take action on complaints about insects in the food. A deputy collector assured the students that their issues would be addressed, leading to the conclusion of the protests the following day.