Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on Saturday announced it was withdrawing a controversial dress code order meant for some of its female students in the wake of the negative publicity it was attracting, but said college girls should not come to the campus in jeans.
The new set of diktats was directed specifically at undergraduate students of the Women's College living in the Abdullah Hall of the Aligarh Muslim University.
The university had said that students not adhering to these new rules will attract punitive action, including a fine of up to Rs.500.
The new rules were cleared by AMU Provost Dr. Ghazala Parveen.
The notice also included pointers on how to keep rooms clean, save energy, not use electric appliances like heaters inside their rooms and not to "involve in any illegal activity" that is "unbecoming" of university students.
The notice had upset students and a section of the faculty members in Abdullah Hall, who perceived it as yet another "restriction" on the girls.
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University PRO Rahat Abrar said the notice had been issued by the Provost of the Abdullah Hall and did not include other women students.
Earlier, well known social activist Annie Raja had described the new dress code for female students at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) as condemnable and utter nonsense.
Interacting with media here, months after after AMU Vice Chancellor Zameer Uddin Shah had said in an open letter that female students would have to wear decent Salwar Kameez with dupatta and Sherwanis if they wanted to meet him on Fridays, or during university functions Raja said: "This is nothing but curtailing the freedom of the girls. It is condemnable and utter nonsense."
"First of all, who will decide that a particular dress is decent or not? It is their (female students) right as to what they want to wear and what not. This proves that girls are used as commodities. In the name of protection and safety, they (the university authorities) are pushing them (students) back to the ancient age," claimed Raja.
"We are not providing them with an environment to come up and empower themselves. Instead of restricting the girls, the boys should be given a strong message about their behavior towards girls," Raja said further.
Raja's acerbic reaction to the irrational AMU decision came after it was announced that students would not be allowed on the campus if they had more than one cell phone, and that female students must wear a "proper and decent salwar kameez with dupatta" at all times and not step in or out of the campus without stating the details.