In the 21st century, defining decency and character based on an individual’s clothing always spawns a debate. A concrete and tangible formula for proper dressing is non-existent; the way a person decides to cover his or her body is a personal concern. Nevertheless, most professional colleges demand a level of discipline and regimen in terms of dress code. Leggings and kurta, trousers and a shirt are the collective norms of dress code at most professional institutes in India.
After years of wearing a prim and proper uniform in school, students wish to wear an attire of their choice when they enter college and not be counselled for dress code. They feel the need to have a sense of freedom. While this freedom is not firmly constrained by many, the situation in law colleges will be different from here on.
A circular released by the Bar Council of India on April 7, recommending that law colleges across the nation formulate a dress code which fits the profession, has led to a stir among law students.
Though various law colleges already follow a uniform, a recommendation by the legal body for a “preferred dress code” has irked the students. M.V. Abhinaya, a student of National University of Advanced Law Studies, Kochi, says, “As law students, we are encouraged to have a viewpoint. It is no one’s business what I wear. I don't see why students need to conform to others’ standards of what’s decent.” Unlike NUALS, which has a uniform in place, Indian Law Society’s Law College, Pune, refrains from having compulsory attire. A student of the institution agrees that a dress code is necessary for law colleges. However, she feels that it shouldn’t be implemented in a manner of regulation. “As long as the dress code requires that students dress modestly, a strict directive enforcing the wearing of black and white formals is unnecessary” she says.
Highly opinionated in their outlooks, law students have been approaching this regulation in a varied manner. While few believe such regulations later evolve into chauvinistic excuses for rapists, some think that a vocation such as law demands that pupils pay attention to their apparel. Sneha Pradeep, a student of School of Excellence in Law, Chennai, feels that having a dress code inculcates professionalism. “In a field such as law, uniformity and professionalism help, as they are not inherent in the students,” she says.
The BCI regulation was implemented a day after an entire class walked in shorts at the National Law School, Bangalore. This act was in retaliation to the alleged sexist remarks made by a professor after a female student attended his class wearing shorts.
Sanketh, a student of CRM Law College, Bengaluru, says, “As there was no dress code at NLSIU, I don’t think what the girl did is wrong. A person can wear whatever he/she thinks is appropriate because appropriateness is a relative concept.”
