NEW DELHI: Around 170 women residing in a Delhi University hostel gathered at the Arts Faculty on Thursday to protest against “harassment” by the administration after being directed to vacate their rooms while their exams were underway.
The residents of Rajiv Gandhi Hostel for Girls (RGHG) alleged that they received a notice from the hostel administration on August 22, asking them to vacate the premises after their exams. They were threatened with disciplinary action if they did not vacate their rooms within the stipulated time.
On August 31, another notice was served on the students, warning them that heavy fines would be imposed for every day they overstayed. The RGHG is the largest hostel of the varsity and has been functional since 2012. It houses postgraduate and research students.
Activists from the All India Students’ Association (AISA) joined the protest in solidarity with the hostel residents. Kajal, a DU student and resident of the hostel, described the conditions under which they were protesting and how they “were at the receiving end of constant harassment and moral policing by the Rajiv Gandhi Hostel administration as well as by the Provost of the Hostel.”