‘Happiness Hostels’ In Kota: IIT Alumnus Develops Innovative Lodging To Provide Stress-Free Stay For Students 

A group of IIT alumni and medical students have successfully roped in hostels and paying guests (PG) accommodations in Kota city to develop and provide students with a stress-free environment, Hindustan Times has reported.

An IIT alumnus, Aman Maheshwari who is the coordinator of the ‘Happiness City’ initiative said that coaching students spend nearly 18 hours in hostels and six at a coaching institutes. The aim of the ‘Happiness City’ campaign is to create a stress-free atmosphere for hostel students.

“Under the campaign, a survey of around 1,000 students of Kota living in hostels and PGs was done to understand their problems and requirement, and now the campaign has linked 600 hostels to ensure health, hygiene and happiness to the students,” Aman said.

Of the 600 hostels, the campaign took around 100 hostels on lease to develop them as ‘Happiness Hostels’. Now, the remaining 500 have also agreed to transform into Happiness Hostels.

According to co-coordinator Sidharth Jain, the hostels would also develop a social room with various facilities like computer, internet, books, printer, indoor games, WiFi and recreational activities to the students.

“A mentor in the form of happiness buddy along with two caretakers will be deployed in each of the happiness hostels so that students can share their views with them,” Jain said while adding that a doctor on call would be available for the hostels.

Further, a ‘happiness guide’ booklet has also been distributed among the one lakh coaching students in Kota, Aman said. The guide carries discount coupons for stationary, restaurants, mess, coffee and juice shops, enabling students to save nearly Rs 20,000 every month.

Currently, Kota houses over two lakh students in more than 2,500 PG’s and hostels, Jain said while adding that Kota's District Collector Muktanand Agarwal appreciated the campaign and also offered to assistance from the Smart City project.