The Hindu : National : U.P. government slams decision to ban jeans in colleges

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U.P. government slams decision to ban jeans in colleges

Atiq Khan

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has slammed the impromptu decision by the State Principals’ Council of aided post graduate degree colleges to ban girl students from wearing jeans on campus. A resolution was passed by the Council on Sunday.

The colleges have been warned that any move to enforce the ban, smacking of gender bias, would invite legal action.

The Mayawati government clarified that no such ban had been imposed by the government and no dress code made mandatory for students.

A government spokesman said the Principals’ Council and the colleges had been asked to immediately withdraw the resolution.

Kamran Rizvi, Secretary of Higher Education, told reporters here on Tuesday that the Council was not recognised by the State government. Mr. Rizvi said directives were sent to the Vice-Chancellors of the universities and the District Magistrates.

The Principals’ Council meeting in Kanpur was attended by representatives of government-aided degree colleges from Kanpur, Meerut, Agra, Jhansi, Bareilly, Gorakhpur and Allahabad.

The resolution also banned girls from carrying mobile phones inside colleges.

Other issues like the curriculum for the new academic session and the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission were also discussed.

It is unclear what prompted the Council to impose the ban but the common perception was that jeans-clad students invited lewd comments from their male counterparts.

Manisha Pandey of the National Post Graduate College likened the move to “talibanisation” of education.

“Such moves should be condemned; the Council office-bearers are no moral police,” she said.

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