NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday took cognizance of a report ‘Delhi’s Bara Hindu Rao Hospital issues dress code for girls on campus’ which was published by this newspaper on September 15.
“The Commission had taken strong objection to this diktat and issued a show-cause notice to the college. Taking suo-motu cognizance of media reports regarding moral policing rules in the hostel, the Commission has asked the college authorities to explain their stand on the sexist rules and what do they mean by the phrase ‘high-risk behaviour’,” NCW said in a statement.
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“We have always been against moral policing of any sort and in this case the authorities have gone a step ahead by forming a biased rule only for women students. Crime against women doesn’t have anything to do with the dress of an individual,” NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma stated.
New Indian Express had earlier reported on September 15 that the Bara Hindu Rao Hospital, under the North MCD, has issued hostel guidelines asking girls, pursuing MBBS, to adhere to a dress code and also maintain decorum within the hostel and college campus.
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Seeking reaction from the hostel administration, Veena Dobhal, Chief Medical Officer, Academics said that the earlier report was ‘fake’.
However, when quizzed why Dobhal acknowledged it earlier and didn’t clarify on authenticity of the document she asked the reporter to consult the North MCD Commissioner Varsha Joshi.
“I have directed for the whole thing to be traced. I won’t spare anyone,” Joshi added. However, when the same question on the ‘fake’ document was raised by this reporter, Joshi too didn’t offer any explanation.