NIT Calicut ‘warns’ girls not to roam with boys, withdraws circular after outrage

The National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NIT-C) issued a ‘warning notice’ issued on Tuesday asking woman residents not to roam around with their male colleagues inside the campus. It later withdrew the circular following outrage on social media and complaints from students.

A warning issued by the ladies hostel warden on Tuesday read, “Inmates of the ladies hostel and mega ladies hostel are strictly instructed not to roam with boy students inside the residential campus. We got lot of complaints in this regard. If any girl is found along with a boy student inside the residential campus, severe action will be taken against her, including suspension and expulsion from the hostel.”

The move met with criticism on social media. “Pathetic! Hope better sense prevails and that we won’t have to discipline those who enforce ‘discipline’ this way...” Prasanth Nair, the district collector of Kozhikode, posted on Facebook.

“I think it’s really atrocious to give such rules and especially in Kerala which has the highest literacy rate. I am completely against it. I feel that there is nothing wrong in roaming around with boys or talking to them,” Tushara, a student told ANI.

Another student, Tanvi, said she was shocked that such a rule exists in a democratic country.

“It’s a narrow minded attitude towards girls roaming with boys. I am roaming with a boy that does not mean I am having something with that boy or he is my boyfriend. I think it’s very normal, we roam around with people. We are living in a democratic country here. Coming this from Kerala is a bit shocking for me because it has the highest literacy in terms of females also.”

However, the management withdrew the rule after students affairs council of NIT-Calicut took up the issue with chief warden.