(a) whether the Government is aware that there is an acute shortage of hostels in proportion to
the number of students in various Universities of the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the education of students is being hampered due to the shortage of the hostels in
Universities; and
(d) if so, whether the Government proposes to formulate any scheme to eliminate the shortage
of hostels in cooperation with Universities and if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(Dr. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)
(a): The University Grants Commission (UGC) has intimated that it has, so far, approved 3,920
hostels to Universities and Colleges in various States/Union Territories (UTs) in the country.
State/UT-wise list of hostels approved by UGC in Universities and Colleges is at Annexure.
(b) to (d): As per the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), 2014-15 Report, 34.2
million students were enrolled in 760 universities in the country. Thus, the number of hostels
approved by UGC is not adequate in proportion to the number of students enrolled in these
Universities which may lead to some inconvenience to the students.
UGC provides block grants to Universities and Colleges under its General Development
Assistance Scheme to carry out various activities including construction of hostels. The
Universities and Colleges are free to prioritise execution of activities under this scheme. To
ensure adequate hostels for women students, UGC also assists eligible colleges for
construction of hostels under its construction of women’s hostels scheme on the basis of the
proposals received from them.
Further, infrastructure grants released under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of
Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), can inter-alia be utilized for
creation/upgradation of hostels etc. in State Universities and Colleges to address their selfassessed
critical infrastructure needs.
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