Rahul Gandhi presses Modi on missing hostels for women students

During a recent parliamentary session, Rahul Gandhi drew attention to the shortage of hostels for female students across India, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain the government's inaction. The Hindu reported that Gandhi emphasized how the absence of proper housing forces many young women to rely on paying‑guest (PG) rooms, exposing them to financial strain and safety risks.

Gandhi noted that without a dedicated hostel, a student must shoulder the expense of rent and the constant worry of potential homelessness, all while trying to focus on her studies. He argued that the government spends large sums on security measures for these makeshift arrangements, yet fails to provide the basic infrastructure needed for safe learning environments.

The problem is not isolated. According to education data, millions of women pursue higher education in India, particularly in rural and semi‑urban areas where campus housing is scarce. Existing government schemes, such as the Mahila Hostel Scheme launched in 2016, aim to build 5,000 new hostels, but progress has been slow, leaving many institutions without adequate facilities.

Historically, gender‑specific infrastructure has lagged behind overall expansion of higher education. While enrollment of women has risen sharply over the past decade, the supply of secure accommodation has not kept pace, prompting criticism from NGOs and student groups. The lack of hostels can deter families from sending daughters to college, contributing to higher dropout rates among women.

Gandhi’s intervention fits into a broader pattern of opposition scrutiny of the Modi administration’s education policies. The Prime Minister’s office has not yet issued a detailed response, but the issue is slated for further debate in the parliamentary committee on education.

If the housing gap remains unaddressed, the consequences could extend beyond individual hardship. Experts warn that unsafe or unaffordable living conditions may undermine India’s goal of gender parity in higher education, a target central to the country’s socio‑economic development plans.

The matter now awaits a formal answer from the government, with student bodies and civil society urging swift action to construct safe, affordable hostels for the nation’s growing female student population.