GMC Handwara MBBS students protest over lack of hostel facilities

Srinagar: Frustrated after their repeated appeals went unheard, second-year MBBS students of Government Medical College (GMC) Handwara staged a sit-in protest on campus, demanding immediate hostel accommodation.

As winter approaches, students said they are struggling to find shelter instead of focusing on their studies. They alleged that even though an order for hostel accommodation was issued in May 2025, the facility was allotted to junior students while they were left out.

The students claimed they are forced to live in rented rooms, with about six students sharing a single room that lacks hygiene, clean water, regular electricity, and heating arrangements. Among them, the female students are in the majority and suffering the most.

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An order dated May 21, 2025, had directed officials to arrange a building for hostel purposes, but students alleged that no action was taken. Despite repeated appeals, the authorities have not resolved the issue, forcing students from financially weak backgrounds to bear high rent costs.

Terming hostel accommodation a basic necessity, the students protested on Thursday, carrying placards which read “Accommodation for all” and “A room for every dream”.

The students told Daily Excelsior, "We have been compelled to live as paying guests in Handwara town, spending huge amounts monthly on rent and other expenses."

One of the students said, "For the last year, we have been arranging our own accommodation. Despite repeated assurances from the administration, nothing has changed on the ground and we have been left to fend for ourselves."

They said around 100 students from the 2024 batch were informed at the time of admission that hostel approval was pending and that they would need to manage accommodation on their own temporarily.

“We have been suffering for the last over one year. Last time, we were told that a building was coming up, but then it was allotted to the juniors who were yet to be admitted,” another student said.

“Now, when the hostel facilities have finally become available, we are being told that these will be allotted to the new batch instead,” they said. They added that most of them belong to economically weaker backgrounds and cannot afford such expenses.

“We do not want anyone to suffer because of us, but we are forced to seek basic amenities. It is becoming impossible to live here, especially due to the harsh winter and lack of proper facilities,” they added.

One student told Rising Kashmir, “We are living in rented rooms where four or five girls share a single washroom. There is no hygiene, no proper food, and we often fall sick.”

Another student asked, "The food provided by local messes is substandard, and we often study in the dark due to frequent power cuts. We are future doctors. If we cannot study properly, how will we treat patients tomorrow?"

"The house owners charge us around Rs 10,000 per month. They also force us to sign for a full 12-month stay, even though we go home during vacations. This is exploitation,” another student said.

The students alleged that "Despite raising the issue multiple times, the administration has shown no concern. They are treating us worse than animals. We have no hot water to bathe in this cold."

Later, MLA Handwara Sajad Gani Lone reached the spot, interacted with the students and assured them that he would take up their demands with the higher authorities. Following his assurance, the students called off the protest.

He told the students, "If the administration fails to provide the facility within the time frame, you can come and stay at my home. It’s my promise, if authorities do not act, come straight to my home and reside there."

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