The Ravenshaw University building in Cuttack. Telegraph picture

Cuttack, Aug. 22: The Ravenshaw University has decided to allot the 89-year-old East Hostel for boys to the girls. The hostel is currently in a revamp mode.

“Once the renovation work is over, the East Hostel will house the girls to avoid rush and pressure on the other hostels for girls,” said vice-chancellor Devdas Chhotray.

“It has been an age-old hostel for boys. Memories of freedom struggle are associated with this hostel. There can be no rationale for such a decision. A new hostel for girls on the campus could easily have been a solution,” said president of Utkal Sahitya Samaj Annada Prasad Ray. Echoing Ray, former principal of Ravenshaw College Pravat Mishra said: “Instead of converting the hostels, the university authorities should come up with a new hostel for girls on the campus.”

Earlier the Parija hostel, which used to house the boys, was converted to a girls’ one.

Presently there are 3,970 girls among the 6,759 students of the university. So far the authorities had to accommodate 1,130 girls against 871 seats. “The girls are huddled up in inconveniences. They have to adjust in unkempt dormitories,” the vice-chancellor said.

The eight hostels of the university have a total capacity of 1,641 seats. The four girls’ hostels — Parija, Devi, Daya and Bhargavi — house 871 seats, while the four boys’ hostels — New, New PG, Dharmapada and Jagannath — are home to 770 boys.

The girls constitute about 60 per cent of the student strength in the university. Of the 4,795 students in under graduate classes 2,610 are girls. In PG classes, of the 1,964 students 1,368 are girls.

The university officials said the girls are entitled to 984 of the total 1641 hostel seats. However, there are only 871 sanctioned seats for girls.

“We look ahead to accommodate at least 130 girls in the East Hostel from November first week,” the vice chancellor said.

Earlier the university cleared the air over the future of the East Hostel when students had staged a hunger strike protesting the delay in the renovation work. “We were assured that the East Hostel would be ready for us within a year. However, now the authorities have decided to allot it to the girls,” said Pratap Mohanty, a third-year student of geology.

“The decision hints at the insensibility on part of the authorities regarding the accommodation of the students,” said Saubhagya Swain, a mathematics student.

“The university has 250 new applications pending for girls’ hostel this year, where as applications pending for hostel facility for boys’ hostel is just 50. Steps will be taken to address all the applications,” the vice chancellor said.

However, local MLA Pravat Biswal said: “The situation in the university warrants construction of two hostels — one for boys and another for girls — at the earliest to avoid changing of the East Hostel boarders”.

“Funds will not be a problem. At least Rs 5 crore can be made available for the two new hostels,” the Choudwar-Cuttack MLA said.

Cuttack, August 22 - Ravenshaw University is in for changing a tradition. Admit girls’ students in the East Hostel – a heritage building that has remained for the past 89 years a boys’ hostel and is currently undergoing renovation.

“After completion of renovation work the East Hostel will go to girls keeping in view of the tremendous rush and pressure on girls’ hostels”, said Devdas Chhotray, the Vice Chancellor.

But not seem to be in favour of the decision. “It’s a historic boys’ hostel of Orissa with which are associated memories of students going back to the days of freedom struggle. There can be no rationale for such a decision. A new girls’ hostel inside the campus can always be an option”, said Annada Prasad Ray, president of Utkal Sahitya Samaj.

Ravenshaw University had its beginning in 1868 as an Intermediate College named Cuttack College and was raised to the status of a first-grade college in 1876.

Later, the college was named after TE Ravenshaw, the ex-commissioner of Orissa to commemorate his contribution to education. The first post-graduate classes started in 1922 in English, a year after the college was moved to its present campus sprawling over 87.4 acres to accommodate 500 students.

The college got autonomous status in 1989-90. On November 15, 2006 it was accorded the status of a University.

Of the present 6759 students 3970 are girls. The University authorities had been forced to accommodate 1130 girls against 871 seats only. “The girls are virtually huddled up in inhuman condition, which affects their health and studies. They virtually live in unkempt dormitories”, the vice-chancellor said, adding, “The boys are not subjected to such distress as 770 boys stay in 770 seats”.

“The boys have already lost Parija hostel to the girls. So converting boys’ hostels into a girls’ hostel one after the other is no solution to the problem. There is enough land within the campus to come up with a girls’ hostel”, said Pravat Mishra, a former principal of Ravenshaw College.

“More so staying outside the campus instead of hostels also affects the studies of boys”, Mishra added.

Official records indicated that the eight hostels of Ravenshaw University have 1641 total capacity. The four girls’ hostels – Parija, Devi, Daya and Bhargavi have an 871 capacity, while the four boys’ hostels – New, New PG, Dharmapada and Jagannath have a 770 capacity.

The girls constitute about 60 per cent of the student strength in the University. Of the 4795 students in under graduate classes 2610 are girls and 2185 are boys. In PG classes of the 1964 students 1368 are girls and 596 are boys.

According to this percentage, University officials said the girls are entitled to 984 of the total 1641 hostel seats and boys 656. But there are only 871 sanctioned seats for girls against 770 seats for boys. Therefore, there is a shortfall of 113 seats in the share of girls, while boys have an excess of 114 in their share of seats.

“The University is keen to just remove this distortion and give the girl students their due at the earliest. We plan to accommodate at least 130 girls in the East Hostel from November first week after completion of the renovation”, the Vice Chancellor said.

The Ravenshaw University has cleared the air over the future of East Hostel when students are on hunger strike protesting against delay in the renovation work. They have been demanding early accommodation for boys in the hostel.

“A year ago we had withdrawn our hunger strike when we were assured that the East Hostel would be ready for us within a year. But now they have decided to convert it into a girls’ hostel. Does it not amount to betrayal”, questioned Pratap Mohanty, a student of third year Geology.

“The decision is symptomatic of the insensibility of the University authorities to the problems faced by us due to shortage of hostel seats”, rued Saubhagya Swain, a student of third year Mathematics.

“But the University currently has 250 new applications pending for girls’ hostel accommodation this year, where as applications pending for hostel facility for boys’ hostel is just 50. Steps are being taken to address all the applications”, the Vice Chancellor assured.

But local MLA Pravat Biswal feels “the situation in the University warrants construction of two hostels – one for boys and another for girls at the earliest to avoid changing of the East Hostel tradition”.

”Funds will not be a problem. At least Rs Five crore can be made available for the two new hostels”, the Choudwar- Cuttack MLA said.