When was the last time you took a trip to any of the hostels managed by the University of Mumbai? I didn't live in any of them, luckily, because I had the luxury of being born and raised in the city, but passed through many of those dismal rooms across the state on a few occasions. The only thing those experiences left me with was a bad taste in my mouth, along with sympathy for students from other cities who had no choice, but to live in appalling conditions in order to get a degree.

A week ago, reports of problems with accommodation at a boys' hostel appeared in a number of papers. They didn't cause a stir, obviously, because the welfare of students is low on the priority list of people who have bigger problems related to commuting, water scarcity and corruption to tackle on a daily basis. The reports mentioned how outstation students coming in for higher studies won't be able to stay in the hostel that used to accommodate 150 students because scheduled repairs to the building haven't taken place. Apparently, the repairs were necessary because the hostel was in a dismal condition. If you haven't visited the University of Mumbai lately, it must be said that dismal is more the norm than the exception, alongside peeling paint, paan-stained walls and unhelpful employees. It isn't the kind of place that encourages academia at the best of times, let alone when one is a student from another place trying to make sense of a new course in a new city. Reports add that the hostels were in such bad shape that there was a constant threat of fire and short circuits. Open electric wires in the corridors posed a serious threat to students, along with falling portions of walls and ceilings. Young men continued to live there though, because accommodation in Mumbai is no longer possible unless you are rich, corrupt or a politician.