Pune, an upcoming smart city in the western state of Maharashtra is often referred with the title “Oxford of the East” for its educational offerings. It is one of the major education hubs in the country with close to 500 higher educational institutes. These colleges offer courses ranging from management, arts, engineering, medical and polytechnic courses. With a strong learning culture, it attracts many outstation candidates. According to estimates, at present, there are more than 3,00,000 outstation candidates residing in Pune.
If one looks at enrollment figures, about 55% of enrolled students are from outside Pune and around 6% are from outside India, mainly African and Asian nations. With students coming from more than 50 different nations, Pune has seen a rise in private participation to set up new institutions for higher education.
Student housing options in Pune
Paying Guests
Paying Guest (P.G.) is one of the most popular housing options for outstation students enrolled in educational institutes in Pune. Many house owners, owning residences close to such institutions have made space for students. Such an arrangement is almost always on sharing basis. Approximately 65% of outstation students prefer P.G. stay for want of family-oriented housing option.
Hostels
Hostels which are part of campuses of institutes are quite cost effective and in most cases cheapest for students. However, there is always a restraint in supply and facilities are not always at par. There have been quite of complaints regarding poor food quality, lack of infrastructure and proper water and electricity supply. Most of the colleges provide accommodation for the initial year or two to students, upon which they have to choose other options. So, although cheap, hostels lack popularity due to the absence or improper basic facilities.
Shared flat rentals
Many students also opt for renting an apartment and sharing it with other students. This is not at all cheap and if any flatmate leaves and a replacement not found immediately, it escalates rent for others. Some students also rent cheaper options on outskirts of the city but then end up paying high commuting costs.
Private Hostels
For those wishing to stay in hostels and finding no option at their own colleges, a private hostel is a viable option. Pune has around 50 private hostels registered with the authorities. But the number of unorganized and unregistered hostels is quite high. Yet, they do not contribute significantly to student housing as they have very less room strength, mostly up to 10 rooms on an average. The facilities are also almost nonexistent making it undesirable for students.
