Hostel

The LSR Residence Hall was founded in 1959. The history of this space, which was initially called the hostel, is replete with stories of the aspirations and triumphs of young women who ventured, often from smaller towns, in search for dreams that would give them access to quality education. Lady Shri Ram college provided that opportunity for discovery, growth, experimentation and autonomy. From providing a safe space for women who wished to acquire a Bachelors degree in the early decades, it ineluctably moved to become the ‘room of one’s own’, that enabled the interrogation of patriarchal structures of control and compliance. By the 80’s, the Residence Hall grew into a space where the emphasis was less on domestication and more on liberation.

The Residence Hall has always been the epicentre of initiative and energy. Through all the functions and events, there are integral to the melange of colour, zest and festivity that are central to college life. The denizens of the Residence Hall have always worked hard to provide the much needed support for scripts, rangoli, music and performances. A new home away from home, there is always a continuous negotiation about the ground rules of living together.

Life in residence is also about stepping into the space of responsible citizenship. The balance between rights and duties is carefully calibrated. It is also about being a caring community that celebrates diversity across regional, linguistic, class, religious and ideological differences and embraces an identity of womanhood that is confident, poised and ready to grapple with the challenges and opportunities that await them in this century.

The Residence Hall has always endeavoured to help the college accomplish its aim to provide women quality education and a space for growth and learning. It gives outstation students the comfort of living on campus and access to all its facilities. In order to encourage a larger number of outstation students, the hostel, in 2019, is offered only to first year students , for a year, giving them a safer space and greater opportunity to get to know the city better. LSR has played a significant role since its inception in empowering women and nurturing their talent, and the hostel plays a significant and magnanimous role in taking care of affordable accommodation, at least in the first year.

The Residence Hall Mess serves a fairly varied menu of absolutely fresh food, while giving considerable attention to its nutritive value. The Residence Hall attempts to serve quality food at affordable rates by administrating the Mess internally, rather than vending it out to contractors. The food is prepared by mess workers and the menu is decided upon jointly by the superintendent and the Food Committee. Hygiene and cleanliness is maintained quite stringently. There are four meals per day. Non-vegetarian food is served twice a week. There are eggs, milk, fruits, bread in breakfast. Lunch includes curd every day. Tea is served with refreshments at 4:30pm. Special dinner is prepared on different occasions.

There are three guards in rotation at the main door along with one female guard during the day. Identity documents are checked at entrance which does not permit non-residents to enter the hostel other than during visiting hours. The convenience of residents is taken into consideration while deciding upon rules and leave-timings. Emergency exits are installed at four ends of the building. Fire extinguishers are installed at various points and fire drills are conducted to prepare students for emergencies. Emergency lights are there in every corridor to guide the residents to safety if needed.

The LSR Residence Hall started off with 80 single rooms for students and 8 flats for accommodating single teachers. Today, it boasts of 200 rooms housing nearly 300 students from diverse backgrounds of various parts of the country and other foreign lands, along with the Assistant Warden and the Superintendant, international exchange students and a room for college guests, as and when they come to college, giving it an eclectic ethos that serves only to strengthen it.

The Residence Hall has the following facilities to name a few:

• 24*7 access to college wifi
• An air-conditioned and furnished students’ Common Room with a television and a sound system, with a seating capacity of approximately 200.
• An air-conditioned study room with new study tables and chairs.
• Front lawns and a garden in the inner quadrilateral, which serves for greenery as well as recreation.
• A students’ kitchen in the inner quadrilateral equipped with a gas and a stove, along with electric kettles and microwave oven on the ground and first floor and a refrigerator.
• Extra milk at night, on payment.
• Laundry facilities at reasonable and affordable prices, by private venture.
• Students’ iron with an ironing table, during allotted hours.
• A fully stocked Infirmary with a wheelchair, an oxygen cylinder, blood pressure monitor, blood sugar monitor and basic medicines, along with visits by the college nurse
• Counsellor twice a week.
• Photocopy and printing facilities.
• 24×7 security with guards at the main door at all times and CCTVs installed at four places to monitor entry and exit into the hostel, while maintaining the privacy of the residents.
• 24×7 solar geyser, ensuring hot water supply at all times.
• 24×7 electricity, with standby diesel generators in case of power cuts.
• Mosquito nets on all windows.
• Regular fumigation against mosquitoes, pests, cockroaches, etc.
• A Tuck Shop, run by the student community after dinner time, to provide for snacks and bites.
• A Resident’s Library, stocked with over 300 books of various genres as well as magazines, both career-oriented and entertainment ones.
• A suggestion and complaints box.

The Residence Hall is the nucleus of a harmonious community environment. It has a longstanding tradition of celebrating multi-cultural and ethno-religious diversity. The residents have access to various indoor and outdoor games equipment, managed by the Games Committee. The Recreational Committee also organises movie nights on particular Saturdays, activities such as jam sessions, Tambola, Musical Chairs, Secret Santa, etc. Cultural nights are organised during festive times, such as dandiya nights. Regional festivals are celebrated on prior request by students, and efforts are made to serve traditional food on such days. Zumba classes are also organised at affordable rates. The college yoga classes are accessible to all residents in the morning. 

The Residence Hall is among the largest hostels in DU, offering the basic amenities to provide maximum opportunity for growth and self-empowerment. Such a feat comes with its own challenges. The administration of the Residence Hall strives daily to ensure that the Mess fees remain as low as possible, while maintaining adequate levels of hygiene and keeping up the quality of the food which the LSR Mess is renowned for. Cleanliness is another such issue which the Residence Hall continuously works to keep as per standards. Certain challenges come with the growing age of the building of the Residence Hall, which the college and hostel authorities make sure to conduct regular surveys about and undertake repairs and maintenance accordingly.