VIJAYAWADA: In a major administrative initiative aimed at ensuring safety, financial transparency, and strict discipline across government medical institutions, the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) has issued comprehensive model guidelines for the operation and management of student hostels attached to government medical colleges and teaching hospitals statewide.
Formulated for the first time by the DME Dr Vishnu Vardhan in the wake of recent administrative and campus developments, the directive mandates standardised operational protocols for all medical college principals and hospital superintendents.
Under the new regulations, hostellers and administrative authorities must adhere strictly to established guidelines governing financial discipline, student safety, anti-ragging measures, sanitation, and dispute resolution.
To enforce strict fiscal accountability, the DME has mandated separate accounting streams for non-refundable admission deposits and monthly student maintenance fees. Revenue collected from deposits must be exclusively utilised for creating permanent infrastructure, including study facilities, sports equipment, furniture, drinking water systems, and sanitation upgrades.
The guidelines stipulate that any single expenditure or procurement exceeding Rs 1,000,000 from either deposit or maintenance funds requires prior approval from the DME. Splitting a single project into smaller estimates to bypass the Rs 1,000,000 threshold has been explicitly prohibited and classified as a financial violation.
Annual hostel budgets prepared by Student Hostel Committee and College Development Committee must be submitted for Chief Warden approval by April 30 each year, while monthly income and expenditure statements must be published on hostel notice boards by the tenth of every month.
Emphasising zero tolerance toward misconduct, the rules prohibit ragging, sexual harassment, intimidation, violence, unauthorised entry, property damage, and the possession of alcohol, tobacco, narcotics, weapons, or gambling materials. A strict quiet period from 10.00 pm to 6.00 am has been instituted, during which loud music or group gatherings are banned without permission.
Disciplinary action for hostel infractions ranges from warnings and fines to 15-day suspension, hostel cancellation or expulsion. Ragging and sexual harassment complaints must be referred to statutory authorities, while other grievances must be resolved within seven working days.
Drinking water requires monthly bacteriological and half-yearly chemical tests, with quarterly tank cleaning. Fire equipment must be inspected quarterly. CCTV footage must be retained for 30 days. Wardens must inspect hostels fortnightly, with monthly committee checks and quarterly reports to the DME.