Hundreds of students at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru staged a massive protest on Tuesday night, demanding better hostel amenities and an end to what they termed as the 'second-class treatment' of women in residential facilities. The protest, which began at 10 pm on the basketball court, continued until around 4 am on Wednesday.
Disparities in hostel rooms
Students highlighted stark differences in the facilities provided in the men's and women's hostels. The men's hostel has 75 double-bed rooms, while women have only 40. Instead, women are allocated 93 three-layer bunk beds, compared to just 18 for men. Men have more than triple the number of three-bed cubicle rooms and eight times the non-bunk triple-sharing rooms than women.
In a strongly worded letter to the administration, students described the situation as 'blatant misogyny at its finest,' arguing that the disparity cannot be a coincidence given the nearly equal ratio of men to women and other gender minorities on campus. 'Why is there such a severe disparity in the number of bunk beds in women's hostel versus men's hostel? It is plain and clear as a cloudless day that women are being treated like cattle. We are being packed into rooms like sardines,' the letter stated.
Water shortage and power failures
Students also reported a lack of water in most women's hostels for the past three days, along with intermittent power failures across the campus. 'The rooms are non-ventilated as cots are pushed to windows to make space for more beds. Fans are insufficient, and some installed recently have stopped functioning or even fallen over,' said one student. Another added, 'We wake up every morning in sweat, only to find no water. It is pathetic, considering NLSIU is supposed to be the country's finest law school.'
Protest and demands
The protest began with female students finding a unified voice and was soon joined by male students. They gathered near the faculty quarters and demanded a meeting with the vice chancellor, but were unsuccessful. The registrar and campus director met the students instead. 'We understand the red-tapism in the institute. So we demand that we meet the VC so that our voices are heard,' a student said. Students are expected to meet faculty again on Wednesday.
NLSIU has faced criticism in the past over insufficient hostel facilities as it expanded its intake. At the time of publication, NLSIU had not responded to requests for comment.
