NCW chief to raise Hindu College girl’s hostel issue with UGC

National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Lalita Kumaramangalam on Wednesday visited Delhi University’s Hindu College in connection with a row over alleged “discriminatory” rules and high fee for its girls hostel and decided to raise the issue with the UGC.

“The NCW chief visited the college today and interacted with the protesting students as well as the principal. She will raise the issue of the exorbitant fee with the University Grants Commission later this week, “ NCW spokesperson said.

Taking suo motu cognisance, the NCW had issued a notice to the college last month seeking an explanation about the hostel rules for girls which have been termed as moral policing by students.

A three-member team from the commission had visited the college last week as well and extended the deadline to respond to the notice till May 15. Hindu College has been providing on-campus hostel facilities to male students for decades. However, the girls’ hostel, which has been recently constructed, was supposed to be functional from the 2016-17 session.

The prospectus for admission to the hostel triggered an outrage among the girl students who alleged that the rules laid down were “discriminatory” and amounted to “moral policing”. The prescribed fee also irked the girl students as the male students of Hindu College pay Rs 47,000 as hostel charges while the girls were asked to pay more than Rs 82,000. The rules listed in the hostel prospectus asked students to dress as per “normal norms of the society”, and made it clear that no visitors will be allowed without prior permission “including girl students”.