Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 24 July 2025
John Robert Babu, President of the District Congress Committee (DCC), South Andaman, has urged the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to take immediate action to address the difficulties faced by inter-island students residing in the hostels of Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya (JNRM), Sri Vijaya Puram.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Babu highlighted the repeated closure of hostel messes during semester examinations and after vacation periods, which forces students to look for meals outside. He stated that the situation disproportionately affects students from remote islands, many of whom come from economically weaker sections of society.
According to Babu, the lack of access to affordable and nutritious meals during crucial academic periods not only adds financial pressure on students but also impacts their health, concentration, and academic performance.
“In our islands, education should be a bridge to opportunity, not a barrier riddled with avoidable hardships,” Babu stated. “These inter-island students deserve better. They rely on hostel facilities as their primary support system, and the administration must ensure that mess services remain functional whenever students are present in hostels.”
Babu urged the Chief Secretary to issue necessary instructions to the Principal of JNRM to keep the hostel messes operational at all times when students are present. He also sent copies of his letter to the Secretary (Education), Director (Education), and the Principal of JNRM College to ensure that coordinated action is taken without delay.
