4 years on, Panjab University’s new hostel set to welcome girl students
After four years of delay, the process to allot accommodations at Girls Hostel-11 (GH-11) on the Panjab University’s Sector 25 campus is finally set to begin.
With nearly 60% of the university’s over 16,000 students being female, the hostel’s opening is expected to provide a much-needed relief as demand for hostel accommodation remains high.
Name not finalised yet
The name of Girls Hostel No. 11 will be finalised soon. Vice-Chancellor Prof Renu Vig has been asked for an approval to constitute a committee comprising the Dean of Student Welfare, Dean of Student Welfare (Women), Assistant Dean of Student Welfare, Dean of Alumni Relations and other faculty members to discuss and decide on a suitable name.
PU authorities have confirmed that all necessary arrangements are being made, and the hostel will become operational this month. Initially, it will accommodate 60 to 65 students as only the ground and first floors are ready. At present, the hostel is temporarily housing participants of the ongoing Inter-University Youth Festival.
The university’s ten girl hostels have a capacity of nearly 3,500 students. Due to shortage of space, students put up in double or triple-sharing basis.
According to Prof Simrit Kahlon, Dean, Student Welfare (Women), a student has to pay around Rs 5,000 per semester for hostel accommodation. Due to the low fee structure, the university receives a large number of requests from students for hostel rooms. She added that the opening of GH-11 will help accommodate more students, easing the burden on existing hostels.
The hostel, which was completed in December 2020, remained unoccupied over various concerns. The Estate Office had flagged issues such as the absence of fire safety measures, water harvesting system, and inadequate parapet height on the rooftop. However, since students will not be given access to the roof, the parapet issue is no longer a major concern, confirmed a senior PU official.
Recently, the PU Campus Students Council president had urged the authorities to begin allotment as many girl students were on the waiting list. The confusion over the hostel’s original plan — designed for five stories while only two were constructed — also contributed to the delay.
CCTV cameras, fire safety installations, rainwater harvesting system, electrical fittings, and floodlights are currently being installed at the hostel. GH-10 warden Varinder Kaur has been given the additional charge of GH-11.