Bhubaneswar: The three students’ death due to flooding of a basement in an exam coaching centre in New Delhi on July 27 has brought into focus the difficulties students — coming to the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack for preparation of competitive and entrance exams — face in getting a suitable hostel or paying guest accommodation as they prepare for competitive and entrance exams.Even if they get an accommodation, the students often have to stay in cramped hostels, consume poor quality of food, live in unhygienic living conditions with poor ventilation and often suffer from viral diseases with none to look after them. “I wanted a hostel near my coaching centre in Nayapalli but the charges were too high. Despite paying a huge amount as rent, facilities are not up to the mark and sanitation is a major problem,” said Lipsa Priyadarshini, an UPSC aspirant.
Finding a decent accommodation on a limited budget is particularly difficult for students who come from smaller towns and villages. The rent per month for a decent accommodation in a three-seat room ranges from Rs 5,000 to 6,000 per month. “If someone wants an air-conditioned and single room then the rent goes up to Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month. Apart from the room charges, students have to pay for the coaching centre fee, food, transportation and other expenses,” said Rohan Panda, a student preparing for banking and other competitive examinations.

Food quality is another major concern for students living in hostels and paying guest accommodations. Many students say that the food provided is often of sub-standard quality and lacks nutritional value. This can have a detrimental effect on their health and ability to concentrate on their studies. “During monsoon the situation is bad as there are outbreaks of dengue, diarrhoea and other viral infections in the city. Staying in hostel with poor sanitation is a serious health risk,” said Manisha Sahu, a student from Keonjhar. The challenges faced by students during their preparation days can have a significant impact on their mental and physical well-being. The stress of preparing for competitive examinations coupled with the difficulties of finding suitable accommodation and dealing with health issues, can take a toll on their overall performance. “It is very difficult to focus on studies if the atmosphere around you is not supportive enough. It leads to homesickness and sometimes lack of motivation to study and frustration,” said Saswati Swain, another aspirant. Parents expressed concern over the standard of hostels and urge the govt to issue a guideline for their operation. “Our children work extremely hard. It is the duty of the govt to form guidelines for safety of the students,” said Pradyumna Rout, a parent.