BENGALURU: The protest by the students at National Law School of India University against an institution-imposed dress code has sparked off a debate among youths in the city.
City Express spoke to students across various colleges. While some of them expressed reservations about dress code, others were in support of it. However, all of them unanimously condemned the alleged controversial remarks made by the professor at NLSIU.
Last week, third year law students at the university were in for a rude shock when a senior professor levelled allegations against a student’s character because she wore shorts to class. The next day, all the students of the class turned up in shorts as a sign of protest.
The faculty of NLSIU will meet on Monday to discuss the issue.
Kartik Nair, a final year media student at Christ University, said, “Institutions should focus on education, well being and overall development of its students. Dress codes impose a sense of authority and students don’t get to wear what they want. This should not be a priority.”
Prathyush Thomas, Final year student, Al-Ameen College of Law, disagrees. “There should be a dress code in all educational institutions. It will ensure dignity and discipline. It will teach young adults what kind of clothing is acceptable in a professional setting,” he said.
Some other students felt that there had to be a balance between formal and casual wear. Sanjay James, a fourth year law student at KLE Society College of Law, said while the implementation of a dress code in educational institutions was good, students must get at least two days for casual wear.
“Even IT companies allow their employees to wear casual clothes on Saturday. We will be more comfortable in casuals than formals,” he said.
What Happened?
According to a statement by the students of the university, a girl student had worn shorts to the class and the professor admonished her in front of everyone. His remarks made the student and her classmates uncomfortable. When she approached the professor to discuss her concerns, she was allegedly rebuked again and this time with more unwarranted comments.
The students stated that in the presence of several of them, the professor went to the extent of saying, “We all know why parents marry their children off - so that they can have sex. This does not mean that the children have sex in front of their parents.” When she objected to it, he added, “You can come to class without a dress also. That is how your character is. I’m going to ignore you.”
The students have demanded a public apology from the professor and have also sought an independent fact-finding committee to look into the incident.