Revisiting guidelines to uphold gender equity on campus: Jamia tells DCW

In a letter to Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), Jamia Registrar, Professor Sahid Ashraf, said: “I wish to submit that Jamia Millia Islamia is in the process of revisiting the extant guidelines in various respects to uphold gender equity on the campus.”

Appreciating Jamia’s move, DCW chief Swati Maliwal said: “I reiterate our belief that all rules and regulations, including those regarding hostel timings and permissions, should be uniform and alike for both girls and boys.

“However, if the administration feels there are certain challenges in making these rules equitable such as lack of adequate policing around the campus, inadequate streetlights, or those not functioning or any other issues, please let us know.”

DCW assured that it would take up such issues with the authorities concerned and work towards their resolution.

The Commission had on August 18 issued a show-cause notice to Jamia Millia Islamia Vice-Chancellor Talat Ahmed in connection with the varsity’s directive barring the female residents of its hostels from taking permission for returning after 8 pm.

“It is observed that no such guidelines have been issued by other universities and even in Jamia, they seem to have been issued only for girls and not for boys, thereby raising allegations of discrimination,” Maliwal had said in a letter to Ahmed. The V-C was asked to explain the reason for the imposition of such a restriction on girl students and sought a copy of the previous and the revised guidelines.

Meanwhile, a group of Jamia Millia Islamia students on Friday staged a protest against the recent increase in rates of food items at the varsity’s central canteen and demanded that the hike be rolled back.

According to the students, the canteen contractor has been increasing prices at frequent intervals without improving <g data-gr-id="21">quality</g> of food.