Indian Institute Of Technology (IIT) Madras was caught in a controversy of late after the hostel staff of the institute publicized details about finding ‘used condoms’ inside a student’s room on the open public notice board.
As per The New Indian Express, the hostel staff had apparently conducted a ‘surprise vigilance inspection’ at the men’s hostel which agitated many students at the campus. They had apparently sneaked into the rooms of the students and clicked pictures without any permission and then insulted the students.
The students claimed that it was a breach of their ‘privacy’ and ‘dignity’. During the surprise inspection, the staff discovered some several banned items in the rooms like iron boxes, egg boiler, electric kettle, water cooler, mini fridge, water heater rod, etc. And in one room, the squad found 20 cigarette butts, matchboxes and ‘used condoms’ in the dustbin.
To punish the students, the hostel office imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the students and then publically shamed them by putting up their details on the notice board.
Following the incident, many female students came up with their stories and also revealed ill-behaviour portrayed by the hostel staff. One of the students revealed, “A vigilance security officer asked if the room and bed were comfortable enough when I was at a boy’s hostel during their visit.”
After the students vent out their anger over lack of respect for their privacy and dignity, people on social media supported their stand and bashed IIT Madras for having a cold-hearted attitude.
https://twitter.com/AVardhann/status/1069830250693947392
If anything the guy should be applauded for safe sex practices, not punished! News though Inshorts #IITMadras pic.twitter.com/8sYkcm49yi
— Shailen (@shailen) December 4, 2018
@iitmadras hostel admin should support safe sex than chastising the student for using condom. If the students are above 18, they have right to have safe consensual sex. Hostel admins need to get in touch with modern times.
— Shounak Deshpande (@8Shounak8) December 4, 2018
Meanwhile, the Dean Students’ office has disproved all the allegations put forward by the students, “No hostel office has done this act of publishing student details on the notice board. The institute will inquire further about this deviation if any at all.”