Kozhikode: The National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NIT-C) has issued a notice to its ladies hostel inmates threatening expulsion from the hostel if found “roaming with boy students” inside its residential campus.
The notice, issued by ladies hostel warden S Bhuvaneswari on Tuesday, was taken down from notice boards by Wednesday evening following widespread condemnation.
The residential campus, situated across the road from the main campus, houses two ladies hostels and residential quarters of the faculty.
Students posted the notice, reserving punishment only for girl students, on Facebook on Wednesday, leading to its condemnation – including from several NIT-C alumni – for gender insensitivity and moral policing, reported the Times of India.
“Dear NITC, does your moral consciousness ends on seeing boys and girls together. And why the action is only against ‘her’ (sic),” Muhammed Afsel, an NIT-C student, asked on Facebook.
Prof Paul Joseph of the department of electrical engineering said he was saddened to see the notice.
“I really wonder where are we going? Some people never understand the changes taking place in our society. Let them suspend some students for walking together, then I will interfere as a citizen of our great India! I really don’t know this person who has put that notice!!,” it read.
Nimisha Roy, student representative, said the notice came as a shock. “We could not believe that such a notice would be issued by NIT-C authorities. The warden said the notice was issued after getting complaints from residents of faculty accommodations,” she said.
Dean (students’ welfare) G Unnikrishnan said NIT-C had always been fostering gender diversity. “The warden… might have only intended to remind students about courtesies,” he said.