Dayananda Sagar University students protest over hostel amenities at Harohalli campus

Hundreds of students at Dayananda Sagar University's Harohalli campus staged a protest on Tuesday night against the university administration and hostel wardens over what they described as persistently poor living conditions at the S-Residences Hostel.

The students, many of whom are enrolled in engineering and medical programmes, said the problems have persisted for nearly a month. They claimed that despite raising concerns on August 26 and receiving assurances that issues would be resolved within five days, little has changed. The administration had reportedly promised to address the grievances by August 31.

Among the complaints listed by students are non-functional Wi-Fi, lack of hot water, poor quality of drinking water, irregular cleaning, a mosquito menace, malfunctioning lifts, and empty food vending machines. The students said these issues affect both boys' and girls' hostels, impacting more than 5,000 residents.

One student pointed out that the annual hostel fee is ₹2.45 lakh, yet the drinking water supplied is heavily chlorinated, causing sore throats. "After paying hefty fees, they expect us to purchase drinking water from shops," the student said.

Students said they have reported these problems multiple times to hostel authorities and the university administration, but no lasting solution has been implemented.

Responding to the protest, Vice-Chancellor B.S. Satyanarayana acknowledged that complaints regarding electricity, Wi-Fi, and water had been received and said they are being resolved. He added that the university has provisions for clean RO water and that ongoing plumbing issues are being addressed.