Mysuru expands hostels to aid OBC students

Mysuru: The department of backward classes welfare has begun preparations to open 10 new hostels in Mysuru from July. These hostels will be for OBC students pursuing pre-matric, post-matric and professional courses, offering a major boost to access education in the district.

Of the 10 new hostels, five will be for girls. With each hostel expected to accommodate around 100 students, nearly 1,000 additional students are likely to benefit from hostel admissions this academic year.

At present, Mysuru district has 108 hostels for OBC students. Of these, 48 are located in Mysuru urban areas and 60 in rural parts of the district.

The move follows the state govt’s 2024-25 budget announcement to start 50 new OBC hostels across eight educational districts, including 10 each in Mysuru, Kalaburagi and Dharwad, to promote education among backward class students.

Officials said the department is expecting grants from the govt by the end of this month or in the first week of next month. In anticipation, steps are being taken to hire buildings on a rental basis for all 10 hostels in different parts of Mysuru city. Permanent buildings will be taken up later after the govt sanctions land and sites.

Education hub
Demand for state-run hostels in Mysuru has been rising steadily as the city has emerged as a major education hub with engineering colleges, universities and strong transport connectivity. Officials said students from rural areas across the state are increasingly seeking hostel accommodation in Mysuru for higher studies.

The expansion is expected to particularly help girls from rural areas of Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajanagar districts, many of whom discontinue education after pre-university due to lack of affordable hostel access.

District backward classes officer Raghavendra said preparations are under way, and identified buildings are ready to be rented once grants are released.