KOLKATA: Amid the dress code controversy in Rajkot in Gujarat, a Kolkata-based college issued a notice saying that students seeking admission should not come to the institution wearing “ripped’’ jeans.
The notice has triggered an uproar as students said they have the liberty to decide what they should wear.
Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose College in the city has issued six-point conditions, which include measures to prevent ragging and restriction on dress code.
The students have been asked to sign accepting all conditions before completing the admission procedure.
Away in Gujarat, the Rajkot Self-Finance School Association has informed parents about the dress code they need to follow every time they arrive to drop their children. The District Development Officer of Rajkot has also issued a circular on the dress code to be followed by government officials.
“We are not minors. When we have rights to vote and elect a political party to run the country, we should have the liberty to wear dress according to our choice. How can an institution tell us what to wear and what not to,’’ said a student aspiring to take admission to the college. Another applicant described the decision as unilateral. “If our parents do not have any objection to wear ripped jeans why should the college authorities make it an issue. The particular style of the attire doesn’t appear as obscene. The objection raised by the authorities doesn’t have anything to do with studies,” she said.
The college conditions for admission is asking students to sign a written declaration stating, “If I am allowed admission, I will not enter the institution wearing ripped jeans. I will come to the institution wearing normal dresses.’’ Purna Chandra Maity, the principal of the college, said the restriction on dresses will have to be followed strictly. “A student wearing ripped jeans doesn’t fit to an educational institution’s culture. I will never accept this,’’ Maity added.
Asking college students to follow a dress code is unprecedented in Kolkata. The dress code instructions of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose College comes amid raging controversy following recent death of a first-year student at Jadavpur University allegedly due to ragging. The college authorities also included several points to stop ragging in the six-point conditions. “It has been clearly mentioned that if a student is found encouraging ragging or directly involved in ragging, he or she will be immediately rusticated.
The issue has become very prominent after the incident in Jadavpur University. We are going to take a strict stand on this,’’ said an official of the college authorities. The death at Jadavpur University triggered massive uproar in both students’ circle and political arena in Bengal. A political slugfest broke out between the ruling TMC and principal opposition BJP blaming each other for ragging at the institution led to. Fresher’s death.
‘We’re not minors’
The notice has triggered an uproar as students said they have the liberty to decide what they should wear. “We are not minors. When we have rights to vote and elect a political party to run the country, we should have the liberty to wear dress according to our choice. How can an institution tell us what to wear and what not to,’’ said a student aspiring to take admission to the college. Meanwhile, the principal of the college, said the restriction will have to be followed strictly.