The Hindu : Front Page : Cell phone ban comes into force

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 01, 2005

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Front Page

Cell phone ban comes into force

Vani Doraisamy

SAYING NO TO CELLPHONES: To call or not to call will not be an issue anymore. — Photo: R Ragu

CHENNAI: Taking its penchant for disciplinarian education a step further, Anna University has banned the use of cell phones and prescribed a dress code for students in all engineering colleges across the State from Thursday.

It will also take a serious view of any film-based cultural events being held in such colleges, Vice-Chancellor D. Viswanathan told The Hindu .

The restrictions will be in force in 227 engineering colleges, apart from the university's four constituent colleges where a ban on camera phones is in force. The varsity has dispatched letters to the effect to the institutions. "There will be no military-like strictness in implementing the rule and institutions have been asked to go about it in a phased manner," Dr. Viswanathan said. Students violating the ban will be warned and then proceeded against according to the code of conduct rules.

The dress code states that students should not wear jeans, t-shirts, skirts or sleeveless and tight-fitting outfits and enjoins them to dress conservatively.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, while certain outfits detract from the seriousness of academic pursuits, cell phones, especially those that come with cameras, cause problems on campus and eat into valuable lecture time.

Student bodies, while welcoming selective restrictions on cell phone use, have come out strongly against the dress code which they see as "an unnecessary move by the varsity which should engage itself instead in improving the content of education and not indulge in such gimmickry."

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