The colleges are thrilled and say the grant will help remove a long standing lacunae which existed mainly because of paucity of funds. "We had applied to the the UGC with models of the proposed hostel along with the number of women it would accommodate about two months ago through Calcutta University. We are happy that the funds have started coming promptly," said PC Mathew, principal of St Xavier's College.

The 150 year old college does not have any hostel for women. According to plans, the new hostel for 150 inmates would come up on the new campus that the college has acquired on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass near Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute. "We are ready with the plan and the construction would start in a couple of months," Mathew added.

Scottish Church College has two ladies' hostels on its college premises on Bidhan Sarani that houses 60 students. "We will demolish one of the existing hostels and build a swank hostel to accommodate 150 women. It will have airconditioned rooms with attached kitchens and toilets," said principal J Abraham.

Lady Brabourne College already has a hostel inside the Park Circus campus that houses about 150 women. A similar facility will be built after demolishing an abandoned building that exists on the campus.