Room safety in a hostel or PG

Electrical habits

A state fire service’s advice for homes, published in June 2026, works well as a checklist for a shared room. Source: Nagaland fire service advisory (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.

• Use ISI-marked electrical equipment of the proper rating, and avoid loose connections.
• Do not overload sockets, or run several high-load appliances from one extension board (for example a heater, an iron and a kettle together).
• Keep curtains and hanging clothes away from sockets, and keep electrical appliances away from curtains and anything else that burns.
• Do not leave devices charging overnight unattended.
• Do not use damaged wires, loose plugs or substandard fittings, and avoid makeshift connections.

In a room you do not own

• If a socket sparks, smells of burning, feels warm or is loose, stop using it and report it to the warden or owner in writing.
• Do not open or repair wiring yourself; ask for an electrician.
• Unplug heating appliances when you leave the room, and never run them on your bed.
• Charge phones and power banks on a hard surface, not under a pillow or blanket.

Before you plug it in: the BIS checks

For some products, the Central Government makes the BIS Standard Mark compulsory through Quality Control Orders. Source: BIS compulsory certification page (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.

• BIS’s compulsory ISI-mark list includes electric irons, immersion water heaters, room heaters, household fans, plugs and socket-outlets, and domestic pressure cookers, and a 2024 order on the safety of household, commercial and similar electrical appliances (IS 302 Part 1). Source: BIS Scheme I (ISI mark) list (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.
• Power banks, power adaptors for IT equipment, LED bulbs (self-ballasted LED lamps) and wireless earphones are on BIS’s Compulsory Registration Scheme list. Under that scheme BIS lets manufacturers apply the Standard Mark with a unique registration (R-) number. Source: BIS Scheme II (registration) list (opens in a new tab); BIS CRS portal: About CRS (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.
• An ISI-marked product should show its licence number with the mark, preferably below it as CM/L- followed by the number. Source: BIS Standard Mark page (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.
• The free BIS Care app can verify a licence or an R-number, and has a complaints option for misuse of BIS marks. Source: BIS Care app page (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.

Each order has its own scope and dates, and the lists change. Check the product itself and, if in doubt, the BIS lists linked below.

Immersion rods, room heaters and kettles

These appliances draw a lot of power, and your hostel or PG may not allow them. Ask before you bring one. If it is allowed:

• Plug it straight into a wall socket that can take its load, not into an extension board.
• Immersion rod: put it in the water before switching on, and switch off and unplug before you touch the water, the bucket or the rod. Never leave it running unattended.
• Room heater: keep it well away from bedding, curtains and clothes, and switch it off when you sleep or leave.
• Kettle: use it only for what the manual allows, and keep it off the bed and floor.

Fire: know before you need it

• Find two ways out of your floor, and where the extinguisher and any alarm are.
• Keep the corridor in front of your door clear of shoes, bags and drying racks.
• Save the fire-service number. The state fire advisory above gives 101. Source: Nagaland fire service advisory (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.
• Tell the warden or owner at once if an alarm, extinguisher or exit door is broken or blocked.

Locks and valuables

• Lock the room and your cupboard every time you leave, even for a few minutes.
• Keep documents, cash and spare devices in a locked trunk or cupboard, not on the desk.
• Note the serial numbers of your laptop and phone, and keep the bills; they help if something is lost or stolen.
• Do not share keys, door codes or Wi-Fi admin passwords with people outside the room.
• Report a broken lock or latch the same day.

Shared kitchens and food

• Label your food and containers, and do not leave cooked food standing out for long.
• Clean the stove and utensils after you use them; a clean kitchen is also a safer one.
• Turn off the gas at the stove and the regulator after cooking, and never leave a lit stove or induction cooktop unattended.

Personal safety

• Share your full address and your roommate’s or warden’s number with family.
• Learn the route between your room, your college or office and the nearest main road in daylight first.
• If you feel unsafe in the hostel or PG, tell the warden, owner or your institution, and someone at home.