Getting hostel in BHU is a matter of luck now

30 Jun 2009, 2237 hrs IST, TNN
VARANASI: While taking admission in Banaras Hindu University is proving to be a tough affair for students, getting hostel accommodation is going to be even tougher with increase of around 1500 seats in various under graduate and post graduate courses under OBC quota in this academic season.
Interestingly, even as the results of entrance examination for admission in various under graduate and post graduate courses in Banaras Hindu University have started to pour, it seems that only the lucky candidates (merit holders) would get chance to stay on the university campus in this academic session.
According to reports of dean of student office, the main campus of the university along with its south campus in Barkaccha (Mirzapur district) has a total of 63 hostels accommodating over 8000 students that includes over 2000 girls.
It may be mentioned here that the university has as many as 16 faculties and 140 departments spread over 4000acres of land (including south campus) with total strength of over 20,000 students in various disciplines. In addition, each department in the university is witnessing increase of 27 per cent seats under OBC quota that has to be implemented in three phases (three academic sessions) till 2010-2011.
The university administration had taken note of growing problems of hostel accommodation for students, especially girl students and efforts were being made to bridge the gap, said Prof SK Sharma, dean of students. A new hostel for girls with 120 rooms and capacity of accommodating 240 students is going to be started in the south campus in this academic session and a number of other hostels are also proposed in the main campus.
As per reports of university spokesperson, while three new hostels each in the Institute of Technology (IT) and Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) are to be created for accommodating additional students (due to increased seats under OBC quota), the other faculties including faculty of Commerce, Arts and Social Sciences are also going to witness expansion with creation of new hostels.
As per reports, while commerce faculty would witness creation of a separate hostel for girls (capacity of 250 students), the expansion of Birla hostel is also on the cards for accommodating additional students in the faculty of Arts.
However, the reports of the office suggest that the construction work is not going to be completed before the starting of new academic session that is likely to start in the month of July this year. And, this is enough to create another gruelling contest for finding hostel berths in this academic session.