IIT Delhi: Women Asked to Dress Decently on House Day; Pinjra Tod intervenes

A notice issued by one of the women’s hostels of IIT Delhi has asked the women students to dress in fully covered Indian or western clothes on House Day.

House Day is an annual event organised by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi , where residents of the hostels can invite guests for an hour. The event will be celebrated on April 20, 2017.

The notice issued by the Himadri hostel was signed by the warden. It was shared by the residents of the hostel with Pinjra Tod – a group of students fighting against the discriminatory rules for women hostels in various colleges and universities. A member of the group said that dictating such dress code is an act of moral policing.

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Rebuffing the allegations, Warden of Himadri Hostel and Associate Professor, Sreedevi Upadhyayula, said that no such instructions or notice has been issued. She also said that all this could be a prank.

Upadhyayula teaches for the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Delhi. She said that she will check the notice board and ensure whether any such notice has been issued. She also added that she will investigate the matter and call a meeting if the complaints are true.

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A B.Tech final year student and resident of Himadri Hostel said that such a notice has been issued for the first time. Students have often been notified verbally to dress appropriately never has a formal notice been issued, stated the student.