Itanagar, Feb 13: The Rajiv Gandhi University Research Scholars Forum (RGURSF) has demanded the varsity authorities to provide hostel facilities to female scholars.

The Forum, led by President Tagru Talu, met RGU vice- chancellor on Thursday and submitted a formal memorandum urging the university administration to address the issue before the next academic session.

The lone central university of the state currently has 699 research scholars, with 60 percent of them being female. However, the university has only 53 hostel seats for female scholars, a number that has remained unchanged for over 20 years.

This lack of accommodation has caused major difficulties, especially for female scholars from financially weaker backgrounds and remote areas. Many have been forced to live in rented accommodations, struggling with high living costs and financial strain. Some have even been forced to drop out of their PhD programs due to the mental and financial burden.

"For decades, female scholars at RGU have struggled due to the administration’s failure to expand hostel facilities. The current situation is unacceptable,” said Talu and added that if immediate action is not taken, the forum would be forced to start a democratic movement to secure the rights of the female scholars.

The lack of hostel space is also impacting academic progress, particularly for scholars involved in lab-based research.

One female scholar explained, “I will leave my PhD because I can't manage the financial burden and my academic work. We either stay late in the lab and struggle to get back safely, or miss lab work because we can't afford transportation.”

RGURSF finance secretary Kakul Doley highlighted the toll on scholars from economically weaker families, saying, “Many women have spent years waiting for hostel seats, dealing with financial insecurity instead of focusing on their research.”

The forum has also called for additional hostel accommodations for male scholars, who face similar difficulties.

The members of the forum are demanding an immediate response from the university and the Arunachal Pradesh government.

If the issue remains unresolved before the next academic session, RGURSF will escalate the matter through a democratic movement to ensure scholars receive proper accommodation, the forum warned.

The vice-chancellor has assured that the issue would be treated as a top priority and resolved as soon as possible, a statement said here.