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Sanjay Pinto
Friday, March 26, 2004 (Chennai):
Certain private engineering colleges on the outskirts of Chennai have enforced draconian rules barring any interaction between students of the opposite sex.
There are also strict dress codes and rules on movement.
Primitive rules
The students naturally resent the strange gag order imposed in the name of discipline. But the fear of vindictive action by the authorities prevents them from lodging formal complaints.
"It's a very primitive rule, we feel restricted even after college and will not be able to be free with others," said a student.
Petitions, many of them anonymous from hundreds of students, have been pouring into the office of the Vice Chancellor of Anna University, to which most of these private colleges are attached.
"It's very unfortunate that boys and girls are not allowed to go together for industrial visits or interact with each other. We will definitely take suitable action," said Dr E Balaguruswamy, vice-chancellor, Anna University
Stifling rules
The petitions list out many ridiculous rules that perhaps make these colleges seem like concentration camps. For instance,
Hostel students are allegedly allowed to come out of the campus only once in two months.
Suitcases of students are regularly checked for cell phones, which are also banned on campus.
The dress code allows no jeans, tight trousers, sneakers or sandals. The boys have to wear only leather shoes and long hair is not permitted. The girls have to wear only churidhars with dupattas pinnned at the center.
When contacted, the concerned college authorities refused to comment.
Such outdated and repressive rules, experts believe, can stifle the all round development of students in their formative years. And the ban on even healthy interaction between the sexes defeats the whole concept of co-education itself.
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