The estate office

The estate office, on the second floor of the administration building, is responsible for all on-campus housing allocations. The different types of housing available on campus are

• A - size? eligibility? Well, there is only one of this type, at one corner of Gajendra circle. Eligibility - you have to be Diro.
• B - size? eligibility? There are several types of B flats of varying size and age (and hence desirability). Eligibility - Professors and the Registrar. There are quite a few more Professors than B type flats and hence, some have to stay in flats below eligibility (till they acquire enough seniority).
• C - size? eligibility? Various sizes and age; some C apartments (like those on III loop road) are considered desirable and many people are known to have passed up B and chosen to stay in C. Eligibility - Associate Profs (and a couple of others). Since some Profs are dropped down from B due to non-availability, C flats are alternately offered to Profs and Asso Profs. However, Profs can also apply as Asso Profs using their prior status as Asso Profs (and seniority based on their date of appointment as Asso Prof). There are not enough C flats to cover all Asso Profs and hence some Profs and Asso Profs drop down to the next lower size.
• C1 - size? eligibility? C2 also belongs to this list. The C2 flats are among the newest on campus, built around 1995-2000. They are also the highest type flats not to have attached servants' quarters. Assistant Professors and a handful of administrative staff are eligible for C1 and C2. Since some Professors and Associate Professors will be in this pool due to drop down, C1/C2 flats are offered in rotation to Ass.Prof - Prof - Ass.Prof - Asso.Prof. Profs are eligibile to apply as Asso. Profs using their prior Asso Prof status and both Asso Profs and Profs can apply as Ass. Profs, using their prior status. Thus, Ass. Profs. have tough competition in this category and will need several years service before getting an apartment of this type.
• D - 950 sq. ft. Distributed between faculty and staff. What is the allocation ratio?. The allocation ratio between faculty and staff is fixed from time to time by the estates committee. The current ratio can be obtained from the estate office.
• D1 and MOH - 650 sq. ft. Usually occupied by staff and research scholars. Also used as transit accommodation for faculty. D1 flats are allotted on a weekly basis. A list of available flats is put up every week and allottments made at the end of the week.

As per the above criteria, all faculty would be eligible for a C1 type housing. However, with the shortage of such housing, faculty are allocated D-type housing. The process for applying for housing is as follows

1. A circular is issued by the estate office (about once in 2 months) listing the availability. New faculty will fall under the C1 or C list (based on your basic pay). The circular is not widely distributed, so figure out where it is usually posted and keep an eye out for it. C1 and above types get listed mid-month while the D's come in the last newsletter of the month. Your department office staff can be of help here - let them know you are interested and they will inform you when the circular comes (dont depend on this alone, though). Make it a point to look through the weekly campus news where this announcement is carried. Department offices will get campus news on Fridays usually (sometimes Monday). (Well, the list eligibility given above is not correct. Eligibilty depends only on scale and not on basic pay. PS)
2. You have a week to see the apts and sign up in a register in the estate office.
3. Allotment is based on seniority. At the intimation stage, you can decline the offer (no debarring penalty as per rules dated 28 Aug, 2002).
4. Final allotment letter is sent to you.

Ground floor apts are rarely advertised. These follow a seperate set of norms and get alloted based on medical conditions, aged occupants, etc. (This is not quite true; there are fewer ground floor apartments and people who move into ground floor apartments tend not to move out - they may have a private entrance and a fenced-in yard where they can put up a garden - and discover that the beautiful deer can be rather pesky plant-eating pests. The conveniences often mean that ground-floor occupants often pass up higher type accommodation. Medical conditions including physical handicaps are handled on a case-by-case basis)