following the recent Supreme Court’s decision to allow 27 per cent quota for OBC students.

The authorities announced this in a circular dated May 7.

“As per the decision of the competent authority there will be no provision of accommodation for married students in Zakir Hussain Hall, Gokhale Hall (except defence quota ) South Block and V — Niwas from the session 2008-09 till further order,” read the order.

Dean of Students D K Tripathi has expressed his helplessness in the matter. “They (married students) will have to bear with us,” the dean said. “This year, around 2,300 students at both the UG and PG levels will be admitted. We have to make space for 400 extra students,” Tripathi said.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision, the institute has to increase the overall intake in the UG and PG category by 13 per cent. Of which, nine per cent will be from the OBC category and the remaining from the general category. In the next three years IIT, Kharagpur will have to increase its intake to 54 per cent to make way for the proposed 27 per cent OBC quota.

“We are adding an extra floor in the four hostels — Azad Hall, Patel Hall, Bose Hall and Nehru Hall — but work is continuing at only one,” he added. The institute has also started construction of three new hostels.

Researchers at the institute are, however, in a dilemma over the new notification. “We have not received a notice asking us to vacate the hostel,” said a student, who is currently carrying research work at the institute. Hundreds of research students and those that fall in the sponsored M Tech category or the Quality Improvement Programme (QIP) are living in the institute for the last few years. Since they are in their late twenties and early thirties, most of them are married.