The 2nd-year medical students of Government Medical College (GMC) Handwara on Thursday staged a peaceful protest against the college administration for failing to provide hostel accommodation for the past one year, alleging that the delay has caused them severe hardships. The protesting students said they have been forced to live as paying guests in Handwara town, spending nearly ₹10,000 per month on rent and other expenses. “For the last one year, we have been arranging our own accommodation. Despite repeated assurances, nothing has changed,” said one of the protesting students. They alleged that around 100 students of the 2024 batch were told at the time of admission that hostel approval was still pending and that they would have to arrange accommodation on their own until hostels became available. “Now, when the hostel facilities have finally been made available, we are being told that these will be allotted to the new batch instead,” another student said. “Most of us come from economically weak backgrounds. It’s unfair that after waiting for a year, we are still being denied our basic right to accommodation,” the students added, urging the college administration and health authorities to intervene immediately and address their grievances. Amid the ongoing protest, MLA Handwara Sajad Gani Lone reached the college campus and met the students to hear their concerns firsthand. He later convened a meeting with the Principal GMC Handwara, Tehsildar Handwara, and other concerned officials to review the matter. Following the meeting, MLA Lone assured the students that the administration is serious about resolving their issue and confirmed that within two months, hostel accommodation for all students will be fulfilled. The students expressed their heartfelt thanks and gratitude to MLA Sajad Gani Lone for his prompt intervention and concern for students from poor and deserving families.