Hostel and PG Safety Tips for Students in India

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The short answer

Before choosing a PG in India, check fire exits, working locks, CCTV in common areas only, the guest policy and whether residents and staff are registered with police. On campus, the Internal Complaints Committee under the UGC's 2015 regulations handles sexual harassment, the national anti-ragging helpline is 1800-180-5522, and Tele-MANAS on 14416 gives free 24x7 mental health support.

Visit a PG at night before you pay, and check fire exits, locks and the guest policy.
Every college must have an Internal Complaints Committee; complain in writing within three months.
The national anti-ragging helpline is 1800-180-5522, or email helpline@antiragging.in.
Tele-MANAS on 14416 offers free, 24x7 mental health support in about 20 languages.
Agree on check-ins with family instead of constant location tracking.

This guide is for students moving into a college hostel or PG, often in a new city for the first time, and for parents helping them settle in. It covers what to check before you pay a deposit, where to go on campus if something goes wrong, the anti-ragging and mental health helplines, getting home late, and how families can stay close without watching every move.

What should you check before choosing a PG?

Visit at night as well as during the day, and check fire safety, locks, CCTV, the guest policy and who runs the place. A PG that looks fine at noon can feel very different at 10 pm.

Licence and registration. Ask whether the PG is registered with the local civic body. In Bengaluru, licensing rules issued by the BBMP in 2024 require CCTV at every entry, exit and corridor with 90 days of footage kept, at least 70 sq ft per occupant, a security guard round the clock, a fire safety certificate and emergency helpline numbers on display.
Fire exits. Find the second way out, the fire extinguishers and the smoke detectors. Check that exits are not locked or blocked by stored furniture.
Locks. Your room door should lock from inside, and windows on lower floors should close securely.
CCTV in the right places. Cameras belong at entrances and in common corridors, never in bedrooms or bathrooms. The Karnataka High Court's September 2026 guidelines for Bengaluru PGs say exactly this.
Guest and entry rules. Ask who is allowed in, until what time, and whether visitors are logged at the gate.
Staff. Find out who has keys and whether the warden, guard and cook have been police-verified.
The route home. Walk from the nearest bus stop or metro station after dark. Lighting and how busy the street feels matter as much as the building.
Current residents. Ask two or three of them how complaints are handled. Get the rent, deposit and notice period in writing.

Does a PG need police verification of residents and staff?

In many cities, yes. Landlords and PG operators are often required to share tenant and staff details with the local police, though the rule comes from city-level orders rather than one national law.

These duties come from orders issued by police commissioners or district magistrates under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), earlier Section 144 of the CrPC. Ignoring such an order is an offence under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), earlier Section 188 of the IPC. In July 2026, for example, Pune police booked four PG operators under Section 223 after they failed to share tenant details as required by a Special Branch order. Delhi Police lets landlords register tenants online.

As a student, you do not need to manage this yourself. Simply ask the owner whether residents and staff have been registered with the police, and treat a vague answer as one more thing to weigh.

How do you report sexual harassment in college?

Go to your college's Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). Every higher education institution must have one under the University Grants Commission (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015, notified in May 2016.

Who sits on it: a senior woman faculty member presides, at least half the members are women, and three elected student representatives join when the matter involves students.
Time limit: submit a written complaint within three months of the incident, or of the last incident in a series. The committee can extend this by up to three months if something prevented you. If writing is difficult, a member must help you put it in writing.
Inquiry: must be completed within 90 days of the complaint.
Protection while it runs: the college can move either person to another section, stop the respondent from evaluating your work or exams, warn them to keep their distance, and restrict their entry to campus if there is a definite threat.
Confidentiality: the identities of everyone involved must not be made public during the inquiry.

Women employees of colleges are also covered by the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, often called the POSH Act. You can also go to the police at any point. Sexual harassment is an offence under Section 75 of the BNS (earlier IPC 354A), and stalking under Section 78 (earlier IPC 354D).

What is the anti-ragging helpline number?

The National Anti-Ragging Helpline is 1800-180-5522, toll-free and open 24x7, and you can also email helpline@antiragging.in. It works alongside the UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009, and is run as the national anti-ragging monitoring agency in partnership with the UGC and the Ministry of Education.

Under the UGC regulations, every student and a parent submit an anti-ragging affidavit at admission and again at each annual registration.
Colleges set up anti-ragging committees under these regulations. Ask for their contact numbers during orientation and save them.
You can report ragging you see, not just ragging you face. Friends often notice first.
Serious incidents can also be reported to the police, alongside the college process.

How do you get back safely after a late night?

Plan the ride back before you go out, travel with a friend when you can, and share your live location until you are inside. Knowing your hostel's entry rules in advance saves a stressful conversation at the gate.

Book the cab or auto from inside the venue, and check the number plate and driver before you get in. Our cab and auto safety guide covers the full checklist.
On the metro, use the women's coach late at night if you prefer.
Agree with your roommate or a friend that you will message each other when you are back.
Save the warden's number and the night guard's number, not just the office line.

The UGC's 2015 regulations also say that concern for women's safety must not be used to impose discriminatory hostel rules on women students compared with men. If your hostel's timings differ by gender, you can raise it with the administration. For more on walking home after dark, see our night travel guide.

How can parents stay informed without tracking every move?

Agree on a few check-in habits and a plan for emergencies, rather than constant location tracking. Students away from home need room to build independence, and the same UGC regulations caution that campus safety should not turn into over-monitoring or curtail freedom of movement.

Check-ins that fit real life: a message after a late night out or before a long journey, not every hour.
Live location for specific trips only: switch it on for the overnight bus home, and off when you arrive.
A shared contact list: parents should have the roommate's, warden's and a close friend's numbers for the day a phone dies.
An alert for real emergencies: with Kavach, a key-ring safety device that is coming soon, parents get an alert only when it matters, never a feed. When the student presses and holds both edge buttons, chosen contacts receive an SOS with a live location link, and its Night Walk mode shares location with one trusted person until the student arrives. You can see how it works.

Our guide to campuses and neighbourhoods as first responders looks at how hostel mates and campus groups can look out for each other.

Where can students get mental health support?

Call Tele-MANAS on 14416 or 1800-891-4416, a free, 24x7 mental health helpline run by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare since October 2022, with support in about 20 languages. Trained counsellors answer and can connect you to specialists when needed.

Your college counsellor is another good starting point. The UGC's 2015 regulations require higher education institutions to have counselling services with trained full-time counsellors. Moving away, exams, money worries and new relationships all add pressure, and talking to someone early is a sensible step, not a sign that something is wrong with you. If you or a friend is in immediate danger, call 112.

Which helpline numbers should every student save?

Save these on your phone and share them with your roommate on the first day. None of them needs an app or internet.

Number	What it is	When to use it
112	Emergency Response Support System, all states and union territories	Police, fire or ambulance in an emergency
181	Women helpline, available in most states	Support and referral if you face harassment or violence
1800-180-5522	National Anti-Ragging Helpline, 24x7 (email helpline@antiragging.in)	Ragging you face or witness
14416 or 1800-891-4416	Tele-MANAS, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 24x7	Stress, anxiety, low mood or a friend you are worried about
Your ICC and warden	Internal Complaints Committee and hostel warden	Sexual harassment complaints and problems in the hostel

For a wider list, see our women helpline numbers guide. This article is general information, not legal advice.

If you or someone near you is in immediate danger, call 112. It works across India.

Questions people ask

What is the anti-ragging helpline number in India?

The National Anti-Ragging Helpline is 1800-180-5522, toll-free and available 24x7, and you can also write to helpline@antiragging.in. It is run as the national anti-ragging monitoring agency in partnership with the UGC and the Ministry of Education. You can report ragging you face or see, and you can also approach your college's anti-ragging committee.

Where can a college student complain about sexual harassment?

Every higher education institution must have an Internal Complaints Committee under the UGC's 2015 regulations on sexual harassment of women employees and students. Submit a written complaint within three months of the incident, which the committee can extend by up to three months more. The inquiry must finish within 90 days. You can also go to the police at the same time.

Is police verification required for PG owners and tenants?

In many cities, yes. Police commissioners in places such as Delhi and Pune order landlords and PG operators to share tenant and staff details with the police, using local orders under Section 163 of the BNSS. Ignoring such an order is an offence under Section 223 of the BNS. Ask your PG whether residents and staff have been registered.

What should I check before taking a PG for girls?

Visit at night as well as by day. Check that room doors lock from inside, fire extinguishers and a second exit exist, CCTV covers entrances and corridors but never rooms or bathrooms, a guard or warden is present at night, and the guest policy is clear. Talk to current residents, and get a written agreement before paying.

What is the Tele-MANAS helpline number?

Tele-MANAS is the Government of India's free mental health helpline, run by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare since October 2022. Call 14416 or 1800-891-4416, any time of day or night, and choose from about 20 languages. Trained counsellors answer and can refer you to a mental health specialist if needed.

Can a college hostel have stricter rules for women students than men?

The UGC's 2015 regulations on sexual harassment say that concern for women's safety must not be used to impose discriminatory hostel rules on women compared with male students, and that campus safety policies should not curtail freedom of movement. If your hostel's timings differ by gender, you can raise it with the administration or the Internal Complaints Committee.

Sources

Checked on 3 October 2026. Helpline numbers and rules change, so confirm with the official source before you rely on them.

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