Starting out in a new city, girls find it tough to search for place that is safe

Old students have come up with websites which help freshers find lodgings

With just eight girls hostels in the  North Campus and only one in the South Campus, it's tough for young outstation women who have left their home towns to study in the Delhi.

In any case, college hostels are no longer that cheap. Their hostel fee at present is often no less than what girls shell out for paying guest  accommodation outside the campus.For girls it is particularly difficult to get a decent place as several parameters need to be kept in mind, such as distance from the college, safety, food and budget. 

After a 15-20 per cent hike in the rent of PG accommodation this year, a student can usually find accommodation for between Rs 5,000 and 10,000 a month.

“When I was applying in DU, I found that the fee in college hostels is high and there are not many hostels for girls. I had to approach my seniors and family friends in the city for a good place,” said Isha, a first year student from Hindu College.

The accommodation fee of a college like Daulat Ram is over Rs 50,000 per year at the time of admission, and students need to pay Rs 17,500 extra for the hostel mess food.

Near South Campus, girls prefer areas such as Satya Niketan, Munirka, Kadvai Sarai.

Several girls said that during their search they came across several low-budget options but those do not provide food.

Upmarket areas

“In upmarket areas, some people are offering access to libraries, free gym, free medical check-ups and even salon memberships with a rent of Rs 12,000 and above,” said Vasundra, a first  year student from Gargi College in South Delhi.

Girls with disabilities face an even tougher time. For disabled male students there is a hostel within the DU campus but none for females. They either have to stay in private hostels or PGs which are not disabled friendly.

“It is difficult for girls with disabilities to find suitable accommodation as most of the private hostels and PGs are located on higher floors,” said a student. 

“It becomes difficult for such students to climb stairs and even locate their houses sometimes,” she added. And many owners refuse to keep physically challenged students.

On the positive side, former DU students have come to the rescue by starting websites such as findyourpg.com which gives information on decent accommodation, saving outstation students from going through  brokers who usually charge a hefty fee.