JNU inaugurates Barak Hostel primarily for students from Northeastern states
The prolonged delay in making the Barak Hostel operational has triggered multiple student protests at JNU.
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JNU Students’ Union has repeatedly raised the issue in its demonstrations, including staging a 17-day hunger strike demanding its immediate opening. (File Photo)Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) opened the doors of Barak Hostel to students Monday, eight years after its foundation stone was laid, and over a year since its ceremonial inauguration.
The foundation stone for Barak Hostel was laid in 2017 by Jitendra Singh, the then Union minister for Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER). Even after being inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in February 2024, the hostel remained non-operational and reportedly underwent repairs.
Built at Rs 28.3 crore, the hostel, named after the Barak River, has been envisioned primarily for students from Northeastern states. The four-story building is designed to house 424 students, with 75 per cent of the rooms reserved for students from the Northeast.
The prolonged delay in making the hostel operational has triggered multiple student protests over the years. JNU Students’ Union has repeatedly raised the issue in its demonstrations, including staging a 17-day hunger strike demanding its immediate opening. Last year, student outfits such as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) also staged protests, calling for the university to expedite the process.
The building was inaugurated by Santishree D Pandit, Vice-Chancellor, JNU, and Sherry, Advisor, North Eastern Council (NEC), Government of India.
Addressing a gathering of students, faculty, and staff on the occasion, Pandit expressed her gratitude to the donor, the North Eastern Council, for funding the hostel. “Like other hostels at JNU, Barak Hostel will be accommodating students from all across the country as JNU is a national university where inclusivity and multiculturalism is cherished,” Pandit said.
“We are very happy that we are inaugurating this and that students will get more space now. We are also thankful to the JNU administration for taking this initiative to accommodate Northeastern students as well as students belonging to other parts of the country,” said Sherry.
Prof Manuradha Chaudhary, Dean of Students, delivered the vote of thanks and assured students that the JNU administration will ensure the smooth functioning of Barak Hostel. She underlined that the hostel has two wardens and can accommodate more than 400 students, with separate boys’ and girls’ wings.
The new hostel has Wi-Fi, a mess, water coolers, a recreation room, a visitors’ room, play areas, and toilets designed to facilitate differently abled students.
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