Chandigarh, Aug. 13 -- Panjab University (PU) vice-chancellor Renu Vig inaugurated Devi Ahilyabai Hall or Girls Hostel Number 11 at its Sector 25 campus on Tuesday. Vig unveiled the plaque and participated in a community Hawan ceremony. The hostel's construction had been delayed in 2020 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Even now, the building is not finished, and only the first two floors will be opened. As of now, the hostel will have a capacity for sixty female students, and rooms will be allocated for the new students for the 2025-26 session. Addressing the function, V-C Vig highlighted that the hostel is named after Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, a symbol of women's leadership and empowerment. She also acknowledged the support of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) 2.0 in construction of the hostel. The Punjab government had given around Rs.50 crore for the remaining construction of the hostel and the construction of a new boys hostel in the campus, but till now the funds have not been fully dispersed. As per PU officials, there had been issues in getting the final drawing for the boys hostel approved. Some students have also raised questions over the naming of the hostel, with many claiming why a Maratha woman was chosen over numerous examples of Punjabi women. PU currently has ten girls hostels with a capacity for around 3,500 students. This however is not enough, and there is usually a long waiting list for all hostels. PU has secured a Rs.81 lakh research grant from the department of science and technology (DST) to develop commercially scalable, eco-friendly composite panels made entirely from plant-based raw materials. The project seeks to replace petroleum-based binders with renewable, biodegradable alternatives. PU V-C Vig congratulated the research team and industry collaborators, calling the grant "a proud achievement that reinforces PU's leadership in green technology and its alignment with global sustainability goals"....