The Dimapur District Planning and Development Board (DPDB) has decided to pursue guidelines for the registration, verification and inspection of private students’ hostels in the district, after it was informed that there are currently no specific regulations governing their establishment and operation.
The matter was discussed during the monthly DPDB meeting held at the DC’s Conference Hall, Dimapur, on Wednesday, chaired by Advisor for Industries & Commerce Hekani Jakhalu Kense.
The District Education Officer (DEO) informed the meeting that the School Education Department currently has no specific regulation governing private hostels. Applications are processed through field verification and issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs), but there is no systematic mechanism for maintaining records or conducting periodic inspections of such hostels.
The DEO said the department had already written to the Principal Director, School Education, seeking regulations for setting up private hostels. He also said verification of existing hostels would be useful, particularly as the number of such establishments has increased.
The discussion followed observations and recommendations submitted by a vigilance committee constituted under the Naga Council, Dimapur. The committee reportedly found lapses in some private hostels, including the absence of clear operational guidelines, unrestricted movement of students and instances of boys and girls being accommodated within the same compound.
Members of the DPDB also raised concerns over the safety, supervision, hygiene and overall environment in private hostels, particularly those operating from buildings without adequate outdoor facilities.
The meeting noted that parents entrust hostel operators and teachers with the care of students and stressed the need for clear guidelines governing such establishments.
Members also said any district-wide inspection should be based on clear regulations and a standard checklist rather than arbitrary assessments.
The DPDB decided to take up the matter with the concerned departments and recommend the formulation of comprehensive guidelines for the registration, verification and inspection of private students’ hostels in Dimapur.
