‘Have gaushala, but no hostel’: Hansraj students rue absence of facility, expense of renting PGs
Students at Hansraj College are protesting the lack of hostel facilities while criticizing the presence of a cowshed on campus. The administration claims the cowshed is not a formal gaushala and that new hostels are currently under construction.
Why it matters
This reflects the broader crisis of affordable student housing in major urban centers and the friction between institutional priorities and student needs.
Amid protests by students across Delhi University (DU) over the shortage of hostel facilities, those at Hansraj College have questioned the college’s priorities, pointing to a gaushala (cowshed) on the campus even as accommodation facilities remain unavailable.
The cowshed stands beside the site of the college’s old hostel, which has been demolished to make way for two new hostels now under construction.
Four years ago, the construction of the cowshed drew criticism from students, who alleged that the land had been allocated for a girls’ hostel. The shed, which currently houses two cows, is wedged between a boundary wall and the open area where the old hostel stood.
According to the college prospectus for 2026-27, its boys’ and girls’ hostels together have a capacity of 200 students. However, hostel facilities are currently unavailable as the buildings are undergoing repair and renovation.
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