Srinagar: The continuous closure of hostels at Kashmir University by administration has left hundreds of student hailing from far-flung areas in a difficult situation.
The boarders were asked to evict the hostels at Kashmir University in the run up to the abrogation of Article 370 by the government of India on August 5 as it shut the facility for an indefinite period.
With the varsity notifying date sheets for post-graduate semester-end examinations recently, students from far-flung areas of the valley had returned to the university campuses hoping the administration would open the hostels in view of the exams.
However, the administration refused to allow students to stay in hostels.
Many students told Kashmir Reader that the KU administration had forced them to look for rented rooms despite paying hostel fee in advance.
“I have deposited Rs 12,000 as welfare fee, Rs 8,400 as rent in advance for my two-year course. My mess fee of Rs 9,600 already stands deposited in KU’s bank account. My parents have sold off their annual walnut produce and deposited the fee, but they are denying me the facility,” said a student hailing from Mechigagran village of Kokernag in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
A hosteller hailing from south Kashmir’s Shopian district and appearing in the upcoming 4th semester exam of his MA History programme questioned how the KU administration could conduct examinations in the first place at all if they could not open the hostels.
Another student hailing from Banihal said they had to spend time to search for rented accommodations.
“Who will rent out rooms to us for few day? ” he questioned.
The aggrieved students asked the varsity administration to open the hostels at least for the students appearing in the upcoming examinations.
With class work at KU suspended for now, the students said the administration could accommodate only those students appearing in the exams.
Registrar at Kashmir University, Prof Nisar A Mir, however, said the students from far-flung areas can write their papers from the university’s satellite campuses in north and south Kashmir.
He asked such students to approach the concerned Head of the Department for this provision.

Irshad Khan