Why students at this IIM are leaving

IIM-Sambalpur says Sambalpur University, where it has been housed since April, is refusing to honour an MoU to provide two hostels to its students.
Nirmalya Behera reports.

Photograph*: Kind courtesy IIM-Sambalpur

Efforts by IIM Sambalpur to curb the exit of students from its campus seem to have come a cropper, with 15 students still languishing in the dormitories of Sambalpur University.

Many of them are likely to leave the campus, following the example of 11 who had quit due to lack of hostel facilities.

Since it did not have its own campus, the Indian Institute of Management-Sambalpur, a new generation IIM, was operating from that of a private engineering college the past three years before being accommodated in a new building in Sambalpur University recently.

However, there is an acute shortage of hostel rooms for students of this premier institution in the University campus.

Peeved with lack of hostel facilities, 11 students from the 2018-20 batch of IIM-Sambalpur had decided to return home leaving their courses last week.

"When they found that there are no facilities, they might have taken the decision. But more students staying in the dormitories of the University hostel are now asking for hostel rooms. We have promised to provide them accommodation by September. But the Sambalpur University Vice Chancellor is refusing to give any more accommodation facilities," said Mahadeo Jaiswal, director of IIM Sambalpur.

IIM-S, which started functioning from Sambalpur in 2015, has doubled its intake capacity to 120 from 60 this year.

April onwards, it has been functioning from the Sambalpur University campus, as it does not have a permanent campus of its own.

Jaiswal said that the university is backtracking on the MoU they have signed for providing hostel facilities.

As per the MoU , university authorities were supposed to give two hostels, but have provided only one and are refusing to deliver the second.

Those who are staying in dormitories might also leave the institute, Jaiswal apprehended.

He added, "We will be having meeting with the district collector on the issue and varsity authorities today. We are hopeful that the issue will be sorted out soon."

The premier institute was initially operating from a private campus but left it due to dearth of the infrastructure, and moved to the Sambalpur University premises.

"We are taking steps to ensure hostel facilities for the students accommodated at the dormitories. The MoU was signed and the hostel will be provided to the students", said Raseswari Panigrahi, MLA, Sambalpur.