After the unfortunate incident of a student of Delhi's prestigious Lady Shri Ram College for Women died by suicide due to financial problems in the family and not being able to afford the hostel accommodation, made the college hog limelight for all wrong reasons.
Getting admission in an esteemed college in Delhi is not a cakewalk, especially when it is the revered Lady Shri Ram College. But it doesn't end at just getting admitted to the college as the students have to struggle to find a place to stay because the college doesn't promise hostel accommodation to outstation students.
Hostel admissions decided on merit
Admissions to the LSR hostel are decided on "merit" instead of financial or social need. Those who are deemed to be "not meritorious enough" are forced to look for an accommodation elsewhere. Students who are shortlisted for hostel accommodation inside the college have to give the name of a married local guardian.
About 67 per cent of students enrolled in the college are out-of-station students and not everyone gets to stay on the college premises. Students stated that the cost of staying outside the college costs them about 15,000-25,000 rupees per month.
Those who stay on the campus are not allowed to step out after 6 pm Students who stay in the nearby polytechnic college say that the facilities provided are substandard but they are forced to stay there.
Sanchita, who recently graduated student from Delhi's Lady Shri Ram College for Women, was told by the college authorities to move her belongings or else they will get rid of them and she had to rush to the hostel to move her belongings. She stated that the trip to Delhi made her shell out Rs 17,000.
Aishwarya, a second-year student of LSR succumbed to the pressure and anxiety and died by suicide. According to a member of the LSR Students' Union, the college administration has been ignoring the concerns raised by the students time and again.
Aishwarya was informed by the Lady Shri Ram College for Women that she would be losing hostel accommodation as part of the college's new policy that reserves hostel accommodation only for first-year students.
"It is a very unfortunate incident of what has happened with the poor child"
The LSR principal, Dr Suman Sharma, was quoted as saying that, "It is a very unfortunate incident of what has happened with the poor child." She said that the college had to be shut down in March due to coronavirus and measures are being taken to deal with the situation. She said that the teachers are always available for students and their concerns and that the administration has been in constant touch with the students.
On the other hand, Aishwarya's mother said that, "We were even ready to sell our house for her studies." Aishwarya was denied scholarship for months and before dying she stated that she did not want to be a burden.
The LSR student death case
Aishwarya, a second-year student of LSR succumbed to the pressure and anxiety and died by suicide. According to a member of the LSR Students' Union, the college administration has been ignoring the concerns raised by the students time and again.
She was quoted as saying that, "Even if students did not reach out individually to them, we had been constantly communicating to them the financial and mental stress that students are reeling under during this pandemic. But they have not done anything about it."
"I cannot live without education. I've been thinking about this for many days. I felt death is only correct," Aishwarya wrote in her last note, adding, "See to it that INSPIRE scholarship is released at least for one year. Everyone please forgive me. I am not a good daughter."
Meanwhile, the residents of LSR hostel in a collective statement said that the administration never took their concerns seriously, despite repeated e-mails.
The LSR has a rule that the hostel is only allowed for first-year students. The hostellers are now demanding full accountability from the hostel administration and the principal, and they demanded that the one-year hostel decision should be changed to a three-year hostel policy with full implementation of reservations.
