A pre-university college in Mangaluru has come under the spotlight after a blogger posted pictures of rules that the college had allegedly recently introduced, which a section of students feel are unreasonable, and biased against girls.
The college however has denied that such rules were printed on paper and that the documents being circulated did not belong to them. The college principal however agreed certain such rules were "unofficial".
Some students of the St. Aloysius Pre-University College in Mangaluru on conditions of anonymity said that these ‘rules’ were read out to them during an orientation programme held earlier this week.
A female student who spoke to The News Minute on condition of anonymity said that the orientation programme was conducted on Monday for the girls.
“We asked why the orientation was only for girls and they told us that it would be held for boys next week. The teachers read out the rules from a paper that they had with them when they came to class. It’s very irritating. We don’t have the liberty to even do group study,” Chaitra* said.
Two pages containing the list of rules have been circulating on social media. However, they do not bear any official logo, nor are they signed by any college authority.
Some of the 'rules' listed on the pages being circulated are:
No high bun or low bun
No heavy make-up and no cosmetics should be found in bag. If confiscated, it will not be returned.
No pubs and parties and no girl student can leave campus for afternoon food.
No girl students should be found inside the campus with intimately close with boys (sic). No girl or boy must touch each other.
The campus avoids interaction between a single girl and group of boys and a single boy and group of girls
No kissing, no hugging. No provocative behavior is allowed inside campus.
During break times girls should not visit the boys of other class.
Your behavior with opposite sex should be within norms of society.
Physical contact with the opposite sex with be dealt seriously.
Punitive action:
Any teacher can issue a fine of Rs 500 and warned (sic). An apology letter is written to the class guide. Fine will be collected in counter no 6.
If found second time fine of rupees 1000, parents are called and a suspension for 7 days.
If mistake is repeated student is asked to discontinue from college.
Jeevan*, a student said one girl and boy had already been fined Rs 500 each for speaking to each other in the corridor.
“A lecturer saw them and they were both asked to go to the department. They then had to pay Rs 500 each. Now, we are all scared to talk to each other. If they wanted to have such rules, they can have separate classes for boys and girls or even separate colleges. Why have a co-ed institution?” Jeevan said.
Principal Fr Melwin Mendonca told The News Minute that these were “unofficial rules”, and denied that they had been listed out.
“We have not officially announced these rules, we have only conducted orientation programme for the girls. There is so much influence of the media and internet on the students so I think we have to create awareness because parents asked for it. Certain restrictions have to be there. Aloysius has always had a liberal culture. But sometimes we need to tell the students certain things.”
He also denied that fines were collected from students. “We may have told them that they would be fined because when you introduce rules they have to be strict. But we have not collected fines from students.”
Asked about the two students who were fined, Melwin said “I’m not aware of that. You see those pages have not been signed by me. Someone who doesn’t like the college may have done that. It’s not an official document of the college.”
He said that the college had done very well in academics, and was liberal and that the college offered good education and that it sent its students for cultural fests.
(*Names changed to protect privacy.)