Lucknow university directs women employees to not work beyond 6 PM

The vice-chancellor of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) has directed women staff not to stay in their offices on the campus beyond 6 pm as "the university is situated on the outskirts of the city".

"The order to this effect has been issued taking into account the security concerns of the women employees as the university is situated on the outskirts of the city," VC of the central university, R C Sobti said on Wednesday.

He said if any woman staff member has to remain on the campus for work beyond 6 pm, she would have to inform the university administration so that proper arrangements could be made to drop her home.
 

There are a total of 4500 students in the university, of whom 2200 are girls, he said, adding that since the students reside in the girls' hostel on the campus, the order does not concern them.

The VC said that there are about three dozen women employees in the university.

University spokesperson Govind Pandey said, "In recent times, there have been a number of untoward incidents, and it is to avoid such episodes that the vice-chancellor has asked women employees not to stay in office beyond 6 pm."

Pandey said the head of the departments have been asked to inform the authorities if a woman student is scheduled to work in the laboratories beyond 6 pm.

Meanwhile, reacting to the university order, the state Congress said this indicated the "actual state of affairs" in UP.

"This is the reality of security of women in the state and also proves the failure of the government on this front," Congress spokesman Sanjay Bajpai said.