A notice at Himadri Hostel, one of the two girls’ hostels at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, “requested” residents to wear “full covered decent western or Indian dresses” for House Day on April 20. House Day is an annual event at IIT-Delhi when residents invite guests in the hostel for an hour.
“Moral policing”
Terming it “moral policing”, hostel students protested against the notice and shared it on social media, where it was criticised by students, alumni and activists. Ordering the notice to be removed, the IIT-Delhi administration said it wasn’t aware why the notice had been issued since there’s no dress code on campus or interference in the personal affairs of students.
The notice was allegedly signed by hostel warden Sreedevi Upadhyayula, who denied having issued it. “It seems like a prank by the students and has been circulated on social media. I’ve been told it has my signature. I’ve called a meeting of the hostel staff to investigate the issue,” she said.
Pinjra Tod, a students’ group in the Capital fighting against discriminatory rules for women in hostels, universities and colleges, said: “Why do our administrations have this anxiety and desperate need to police what women wear? Every other day, there is some absurd diktat in one institution or another.”
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal also flayed the prestigious institute for its “patriarchal” mindset.
