The Aligarh Muslim University may allow undergraduate girls access to the central library.
In its reply to the Union Human Resources Development Ministry it said that it was considering the request by the undergraduate students for access to the library. The development comes days after Vice-Chancellor Zamiruddin Shah allegedly said that boys would overcrowd the central library if girl students were allowed access.
Rahat Abrar, the PRO, said: “An oral request was made on November 10 to the V-C by girls at the installation ceremony of the newly-elected Women’s College Students’ Union for access to the central library. This request is under consideration.”
In its reply, the university has defended the rule which doesn’t allow students of the Women’s College to access the Maulana Azad Library, saying that the college has its own library.
The HRD Minister Smriti Irani had termed the provision as “insult to daughters”.
The university also clarified that it doesn’t practice any kind of “gender bias” in any of the facilities of the university including library, swimming pool and the horse riding club.
Mr. Abrar also noted that the Ministry had only sought a “clarification” on this issue and not an “explanation” as a section of the media reported.
Arguing that a simple administrative issue was allegedly blown by a certain section of the media into an issue of gender bias, the AMU students had on Wednesday protested against the alleged negative portrayal of the university in the media.
