Costly rents force Osmania University students into hostels

Hyderabad: With eight students being forced to share a room which is meant to be shared by just four people, several PhD and post-graduate students of Osmania University are beginning to rent flats or rooms in Vidyanagar, Tarnaka and PD colony. However, the demand for such rooms/flats is very high and the supply is limited, forcing many students to travel to and from their villages.

Naga Bhushan, who was searching for a room for his friend, said that it has become difficult to get a room because almost all vacant rooms have been snapped up in Vidyanagar, Sitaphalmandi, Ramantha-pur and surrounding areas, by research scholars.

Most students cannot afford to hire an agent but search manually or through known people. Their problems are compounded by having to submit copies of identity card and other details and visits by friends and family are often restricted by the owner. With all these problems, students often put up with being crammed into on-campus rooms, which is at least cheaper.

Adding to the woes, these rooms are joined by several non-boarders as well.

“It is not an exaggeration if we say that in some cases, ten people stay together in a single room. But there is no choice as the non-boarders or the students who passed out years ago are still on the campus, and some are even leaders of student organisations,” said a University official on the condition of anonymity.

It was further stated that despite taking several measures like placing security guards, warning students against accommodating non-boarders and undertaking surprise raids, outsiders were still staying in the hostels