A critical shortage of government-run hostels across Karnataka has left approximately 2.4 lakh students without accommodation this academic year, severely impacting their access to higher education. The crisis is particularly acute in major educational hubs where thousands of deserving students from backward classes and minority communities are being turned away due to insufficient facilities.
Alarming Statistics Reveal Systemic Failure
Official data paints a grim picture of the accommodation crisis facing students in Karnataka. The Backward Classes and Minorities (BCM) department received over 3 lakh applications for hostel seats this year, with only 20% of applicants securing accommodation. The remaining 80%, representing approximately 2.4 lakh students, have been left to fend for themselves.
The demand is concentrated in six key educational districts: Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi, Mysuru, Davanagere, Bengaluru and Kalaburagi, which together account for 2 lakh applications, representing 60% of total demand. However, these districts collectively have only 40,000 hostel seats available, creating an impossible situation for education authorities.
Infrastructure Gap Widens Despite Growing Demand
Currently, the BCM department operates 1,258 post-matric hostels statewide, comprising 566 boys' hostels and 692 girls' hostels. The total intake capacity stands at 1,68,833 students - 76,744 boys and 92,089 girls. This infrastructure has proven completely inadequate to meet the growing demand for student accommodation.
Despite repeated appeals to expand facilities, the government has only given in-principle approval for 150 new hostels, a number that falls significantly short of addressing the actual demand. The situation has become so desperate that authorities are cramming 7-8 students into rooms designed for 4-5, creating overcrowded and potentially unsafe living conditions.
District-Level Crisis Highlights Regional Disparities
The hostel shortage has hit some districts particularly hard. In Dharwad district alone, 15,938 students from backward classes and minority communities applied for hostel accommodation, but only 1,690 were admitted - meaning over 90% were denied seats.
Similar crises are unfolding in Kalaburagi and Belagavi, where more than 18,000 students in each district are still waiting for admissions. The problem disproportionately affects students from rural taluks of North Karnataka and the Mysuru region, where family incomes often cannot support expensive private accommodation.
Consequences and Official Response
Unable to secure government hostel accommodation, many students are being forced into expensive private hostels and paying guest facilities. The high costs have proven prohibitive for numerous students, with some abandoning their studies altogether due to financial constraints.
BCM officer H Bhanumati acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating that demand for hostel seats is exceptionally high across the state, not just in Hubballi and Dharwad. "We are unable to provide seats to all eligible candidates. However, we have submitted a proposal for 28 new hostels in Dharwad district, particularly in the twin cities, as there is minimal demand for BCM hostels in taluk-level locations," she explained.
Student organizations have highlighted that this crisis has persisted for two decades but worsened significantly after the pandemic. AIDSO representative Bhavani Shankargouda noted that education costs have soared while middle-class incomes have stagnated. ABVP central working committee member Manikant Kalasa added that successive governments have neglected the education sector, and the problem has expanded as colleges introduce more urban-centric courses, increasing student migration to cities.
