Students of Farook College in Kozhikode district were in for a shock on Tuesday when the college sought explanation from boys and girls for sharing a bench in the class. The students were told to leave the class that very moment and asked not to enter the campus till they bring their parents.

 “The Malayalam teacher said that he will not allow boys and girls to sit together as it went against the college's rules. When a female student pointed out that it is sheer gender segregation, he chided her and said that all those who cannot obey this rule should go out of the classroom. As many as nine students had to leave the class following the incident,” Dinu K, one of the students who was asked to leave the classroom told The Times of India.

The college however gave an explanation that boys and girls sitting together on a bench doesn’t suit to the ‘culture’ of the 67-year old institution.  

“Boys and girls sitting together on the same bench has never been a norm in the 67-year-old history of the college. There is no gender segregation here. A majority of the parents support what we follow now,” principal E P Imbichikoya told TOI.

This college earlier attracted public attention when they established ‘boys only’ benches in the campus. TOI further reports that college authorities had put up a board near the concrete benches in the campus saying that they were meant only for boys.