With Delhi University announcing a shut down of its colleges following an order of the Delhi government, students staying at hostels in the university are worried about travelling home on a short notice and are figuring out alternative accommodation.
Going back to Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala is not a good option for John Thomas, a student at Delhi School of Economics, who is among a few who reside at the International Students House. “I feel more secure with the precautions that are taken here than going back home,” he said.
Mr. Thomas is worried about contracting the disease during the train journey back home and possibly transmitting to his parents, both of whom are above the age of 50.
With international students being allowed to stay back at the hostel, authorities have made protocols such as restricted entry of visitors as well as closing of various congregating spaces such as common area and reading room, a student here said.
Prajwal Pandey from Nepal said that hostel authorities have informed that truncated food service with fewer options will be made available to them. While other students from Nepal and Bangladesh had already left for home or are making plans to leave the hostel, Mr. Pandey said that he decided to stay back since it would be hard for him to study back home. The hostel has also identified two bedrooms for quarantine in case required, he said.
At Under Graduate Girls Hostel (UGGH), students were asked to vacate the hostel by Friday night, Anchal, a student said. Hailing from Shimla, Ms. Anchal said that she was unsure about how to travel back to her home town since public transport was reportedly unavailable, her father has decided to drive down to pick her up, she said.
Amisha, a resident of Ambedkar Ganguly Hostel, said that directions to vacate the hostel was issued to them also, but about five to six hostellers are left behind, who are unsure of what to do. Hostel authorities had reportedly recommended students to go to the State Bhawans if they can’t make it back home, she added.
With only a handful of students reportedly staying back, Ms. Amisha said: “We told the authorities that we will make our own food, but they didn’t listen.”
At the Tibetan Youth Hostel, Pema, a B.Com student, said that some students are staying back and are taking precautions according to WHO guidelines. However, gatherings at the dinning hall and common areas are still taking place, he lamented. “Going back home is not an option for me,” he said.
