Dress code up to private colleges, says M’lore University vice-chancellor

Mangalore, 09 Aug 2012: Do managements of educational institutions have the right to impose rules that hurt the religious sentiments of students? This question is being debated for the past several years in the state, especially in Dakshina Kannada, with the dress code row rearing its ugly head every now and then. However, still there is lack of clarity as to whether they are permitted to do so.

 

Examples of college managements taking such steps include that of Aysha Ashmin of SVS College, Bantwal, who was not allowed to wear a hijab to college in 2009. Hadiya Iqbal, a second year PU commerce student of Jain PU College in Moodbidri, too had to undergo the same fate in her institution in 2011. Recently, St Aloysius College had hit the headlines by introducing a blanket ban on burqa in classrooms.

 

The latest in the series is the notice of the administrative board of Vivekananda Vidyavardhaka Sangha (VVS), Puttur, which runs several institutions. It had mandated women - students, teaching and non teaching staff- to wear bangles and bindi on the campus. However, the institution claimed that it was not mandatory, but said it wanted to preserve Indian culture.

 

Authorities concerned, be it Mangalore University or the Department of Public Instruction, leave such issues to the college managements and refuse to interfere. Mangalore University vice-chancellor TC Shivashanikara Murthy told TOI that the university in no way can interfere in the disciplinary matters of a private institution. "The university can take a decision on the uniform of the staff and students only within the university campus and it cannot interfere in private or government colleges’ decisions. Managements of private colleges are the authorities to take a final decision on such matters,’’ the VC said.

 

Moses Jaysekhar, deputy director, Department of Public Instruction, said institutes may introduce uniform and there is no government bar. However, Moses said: "no institute can impose rules that make wearing bangles and bindi compulsory on their campus. I will look into the issue and take a decision."