Drought-Hit Students In Pune Struggle To Pay Rent, Mess Bills As Families Battle Crop Losses

Pune is grappling with a student crisis during a severe drought affecting farmlands across Maharashtra. Crops have withered due to the lack of rain, causing agricultural incomes to plummet for families who primarily depend on farming. Students from these drought-affected families studying in Pune are now struggling to make ends meet.

With diminishing family income, they face difficulties paying room rent, mess bills, college fees, and day-to-day expenses. Many are compelled to take part-time jobs to make rent and fees payments. The situation has become so dire that students are left worrying about whether they can continue their education or not. Shakeel Shaikh, a research scholar at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), has called for the government to offer comprehensive educational relief, including full tuition waivers, scholarships, living stipends, and hostel fee concessions.

Ajay Bansode, another concerned parent, emphasized that the loss of agricultural income has made it increasingly tough for parents to support their children's education in cities like Pune, Mumbai, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The Maharashtra government has declared 305 of its 358 talukas drought-affected due to deficient rainfall and prolonged dry spells.

Crop losses have led to assessments for relief, while water scarcity has further strained farming households. Government universities are often the only option for higher education for many poor students. Even when the rains return, these farming families will need several months to regain their footing. The government universities have extended the housing lottery application deadline to October 30.

The government has already provided relief by waiving examination fees for eligible students from drought-affected talukas in 26 public universities. As of October 20, 2,40,365 students have benefited from this measure, including 65,200 at SPPU. However, Shaikh and Bansode argue that the government's response must go beyond these concessions and provide more robust support to students facing financial hardship due to the drought.