A group of students are on a protest at Jawaharlal Nehru University alleging they are yet to be assigned hostel rooms despite being in the second semester, which has forced them to put up at rented accommodations.

The protesting students began a sit-in at the office of the dean of students on Monday evening. They said the demonstration would continue till their demands were met.

There was no immediate response from the JNU administration.

The protesters also claimed that they had been locked inside the office and denied “basic necessities of accessing the toilets”.

In a statement, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union said: “Students have been sitting inside the dean of students’ Office since Monday, demanding hostels. Despite being into the second semester, students are being forced to stay in rented rooms and pay exorbitant rents.”

The students also alleged that the handover of a new hostel was being delayed.

”The construction of Barak Hostel is with the CPWD, which has given the contract to a private company. This private company has failed to pay the workers and supervisors on time, due to which work has been stopped. The handover of the hostel is being delayed indefinitely as a result,” the JNUSU claimed.

”The students have also demanded that all women students who are in dorms be given hostels immediately,” it added.