Srinagar, Nov 10: More than 300 female postgraduate students at the University of Kashmir are reportedly without hostel accommodation under the existing 50-kilometre eligibility criterion, prompting students and parents to appeal to the Chancellor and university administration for an urgent policy review.

Under the present rules, students whose permanent residences fall within 50 kilometres of the university are ordinarily considered ineligible for hostel accommodation. Students said the restriction has forced them to undertake exhausting daily journeys, even when their academic commitments extend well into the evening.
They argued that distance alone should not determine hostel eligibility, particularly for female students attending practical classes, laboratory sessions, research work and other academic activities beyond regular university hours.
Shaiza Aslam, a postgraduate student from Khansahib in Budgam, said she lives around 47 kilometres from the university's Main Campus and was denied the opportunity to apply for hostel accommodation due to the existing restriction.
"It is injustice with us. We reach our residences very late in the evening after attending classes and completing academic activities at the University," she said, appealing to the Chancellor to intervene.
The financial burden of private accommodation has further aggravated the problem for families unable to afford rented rooms near the campus.
A parent from Airzal, Beerwah, said his daughter usually reaches home around 7 pm after attending university activities. He said he had explored rented accommodation at Nigeen Lane, Hazratbal, but the landlord demanded Rs 10,000 per month for a room.
"Being a farmer, how can I afford such a huge amount?" he asked, suggesting that the eligibility distance for female students be reduced from 50 to 40 kilometres to accommodate those facing genuine commuting difficulties.
Another postgraduate student from the Chemistry Department said Science students deserved special consideration as their academic programmes involved extensive practical work, laboratory sessions and research activities requiring longer campus hours.
She said students should not be forced to compromise their academic commitments because of difficult daily commutes.
Students and parents have urged the university to reconsider the existing policy and introduce suitable relaxations, particularly for female postgraduate students enrolled in Science and other programmes involving extended academic schedules.
They have also called for long-term expansion of hostel infrastructure. A parent suggested that the university seek financial assistance from the Jammu and Kashmir Government to construct a mega Girls' Hostel with around 1,000 rooms, on the lines of facilities developed by the National Institute of Technology.
Such a facility, they said, would address the growing accommodation shortage and ease the financial and logistical difficulties faced by female students from different parts of Kashmir.
The students and parents have appealed to the Chancellor and university administration to review the 50-kilometre restriction and ensure that deserving female students are not denied residential facilities solely on the basis of geographical distance.