No, it is not compulsory to stay in the KIIT hostels. You can stay at some place else too. The mess food of the electronics hostel is not good. This is why some of my batchmates have rented apartments for themselves. They can cook, and they have an easy mode of transport like scooty/bike. Moreover, renting is not an expensive option over here. It is affordable.
There is no such compulsion to stay in the hostel at KIIT. It depends on the student’s choice if the student is a day boarder then they can travel by bus or their own transport. The bus service is free for KIITians. A KIIT student can avail the bus service anytime.
If the student is not a day boarder then they can definitely opt for the hostel because it gets hard to find a place in BBSR at a reasonable price. Hostel life in KIIT would be beneficial for the student because of group studies and nearby facilities which cannot be found in other places that easily.