Women students accuses Jamia of again curtailing hostel timings

Pinjra Tod, an autonomous collective of women students, has accused the Jamia Millia Islamia University of yet again curtailing the hostel timings of girl students till 9 pm, as against the promised 10:30 pm deadline.

Women students staying in the university hostels had led a powerful struggle last semester to extend their “curfew timing” to 10:30pm, which was agreed to by the administration in writing, the collective claimed.

“However, the Jamia administration in a brazen, non-transparent, authoritative and undemocratic move, has now brought back the hostel timings to 9 pm, that too during vacations,” it said.

“This is printed on the new prospectus along with a new rule that states that hostellers ‘will not indulge in any protest or signature campaign against hostel rules, regulations or timings’,” Pinjra Tod said in a statement.

The students’ collective has been campaigning for liberal hostel timings for women.

A spokesperson of the varsity, however, said earlier the hostel timings were 8:30 pm and the new prospectus has extended it to 9 pm.

“In a city like Delhi, late timings would not be feasible and even parents would not approve of it,” he said.

“Parents are not comfortable that their daughters stay out late in a city like Delhi. Most of the students return by 6 pm and if on some occasions, they have to stay out, they can take permission from the authorities,” the varsity spokesperson said.

On the other hand, Pinjra Tod said the administration has also imposed a closing time for the inner hostel gate at 11:30 pm, which means women students from one hostel cannot go to another hostel.

“It needs to be mentioned here that no such restrictions exist for male hostellers,” the student collective said.

However, the varsity has said that the restrictions on protests has been laid out because such demonstrations disturb those students who want to study.

 

(PTI)

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