No hostel facility at PU for PhD students under college teachers

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 18

Panjab University (PU) has decided that a PhD student whose supervisor is not from the university and is pursuing doctorate under college teachers are not eligible for getting hostel accommodation irrespective of fellowship status.

However, for the course work of students, where students have to attend classes for a semester, temporary accommodation will be provided. This new condition will not be binding on existing PhD students who are staying in PU hostels. A committee under Dean Students Welfare Prof Emanual Nahar has taken the decision on July 31 along with hostel wardens, which will now be placed before the Syndicate, which is a governing body of PUTA, on August 20.

Regarding J&K students admitted to the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) under the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme, the committee has also denied them any hostel seats. It has reasoned that “these seats were supernumerary and keeping in view the fact that only limited seats are available for meritorious students and only about 25 per cent to 30 per cent meritorious students are able to get hostels, it will not be possible to accommodate students who have been given admission to various courses as a supernumerary quota.”

“There was a request from these students. But we are facing shortage of rooms,” said Professor Nahar.

Also, PhD students who have completed five years in hostels have been allowed to continue only on a sharing basis on daily charges, subject to availability of rooms.

Girl PhD students, who are paying full House Rent Allowance (HRA) as it is a part of their fellowship, will be given single room subject to availability of rooms in those girls’ hostel where single rooms are available. There is more shortage in girls’ hostels than boys’ hostels. Those who are not entitled to HRA with their fellowship are also entitled for single room accommodation subject to availability of rooms but after their synopsis presentation in girls’ hostel number 1 to 4 and boys’ hostel number 1 to 6.

Deduction in Working Women Hostel charges

The committee has decided that 50 per cent amount of establishment charges, development fund and repair maintenance will be waived off for residents of working women hostel who are getting less than Rs 15,000 per month.

There are around 80 rooms in working women hostel of the PU where research scholars and those working as guest teachers are staying. The employees already staying in the working women hostel and getting HRA will pay the revised charges from 2017-18. There are also cases where after deduction of HRA no charges are being paid; they are now being referred to Finance and Development Officer for action.

New condition not for existing PhD students

For the course work of students, where students have to attend classes for a semester, temporary accommodation will be provided. This new condition will not be binding on existing PhD students who are staying in PU hostels.