RONO HILLS, 13 Feb: Members of the Rajiv Gandhi University Research Scholars Forum (RGURSF), led by its president Tagru Talu, met with RGU Vice-Chancellor (i/c) SK Nayak here on Thursday, and urged him to take immediate action to resolve the matter of shortage of hostel seats for female researchers.
“RGU currently has 699 research scholars, with 60% (423) being female scholars. However, the university has continued to allocate only 53 hostel seats for female researchers – a number that has remained unchanged for over two decades. This longstanding negligence has resulted in severe hardships, forcing female scholars, especially those from financially weaker backgrounds and remote districts, to bear the burden of high living costs in Itanagar, Doimukh, and Naharlagun.
Many scholars have been forced to drop out of their PhDs due to the overwhelming financial and mental strain of living in rented accommodations for years,” the forum stated in a memorandum it placed before the VC, and urged the RGU administration to resolve the issue before the next academic session.
“For decades, female scholars at RGU have struggled due to the administration’s failure to expand hostel facilities. The current situation is unacceptable. If immediate action is not taken before the next session, we will be left with no choice but to initiate a democratic movement to secure our rights,” said the RGURSF president.
Speaking on the financial and psychological toll theissue has taken, RGURSF finance secretary Kakul Doley added, “Many research scholars, especially women from economically weaker families, have spent years living in rented houses, waiting for hostel seats that never come. This is not just about accommodation; this is about ensuring that scholars can focus on their research without being burdened by financial insecurity. The administration must act now.”
The RGURSF also highlighted the urgent need for additional hostel accommodation for male scholars, who face similar struggles due to the lack of seats.
“The forum expects an immediate and concrete response from the university administration and the Arunachal Pradesh government. If the demands remain unaddressed before the next academic session, the RGURSF will be forced to escalate the matter through a democratic movement to ensure that scholars receive their rightful access to proper accommodation,” it said.
The forum informed in a press release that the VC “assured to consider the issue as top priority and resolve it at the earliest.”