Bangalore University bars hostel facilities for SC/ST students who wish to pursue a second PG

The university, in an order dated December 2, stated that as per the government rules, SC/ST students pursuing a second master’s degree in a different course in the campus cannot use the same hostel facilities as the normal first-time PG students.

The order also directed the authorities to review the documents for applications of students for hostel facilities thoroughly and grant hostel rooms only to those students who are pursuing a postgraduate course of the university for the first time.

However, Bangalore University Registrar Mahesh Babu told indianexpress.com said that the ‘vacating’ rule applies to all categories of students. “As per government rules, the students of all categories – SC,ST, OBC and General, should vacate the hostel facilities given to them to make way for the fresh batch of postgraduate students,” he said, while adding that many students have overstayed in hostels, despite them completing their postgraduate courses.

“We had served multiple notices to them earlier and they did not pay heed to it. Even earlier, this rule was not enforced to the fullest extent. Hence, we are now enforcing this rule, so that the fresh batch of students can occupy the hostel,” he said, and pointed out that there are only 300 rooms for nearly 2,000 postgraduate students.

However, the Congress has criticised the university’s move as ‘anti-Dalit’. Ramesh Babu, a Congress leader, said that Bangalore University has repeatedly shown its anti-Dalit policy which has always been the BJP’s hidden agenda. “Denying a hostel will deprive the Dalit students of the right to education. If the government is citing rules and pinning it on space constraints, why can’t the government utilise the fund of Rs 26,000 crore allocated during the budget for developing more rooms for socially backward students? It just exposes the anti-Dalit policy of the government,” the Congress leader said.