In a new case reported from Mumbai, Acharya Marathe College has decided to implement a new dress code for its degree college students for the academic year starting June 2024. Ordered to ban hijab and other religious symbols on college campus.
The dress code notice, which will be effective from the upcoming academic year starting June 2024, states that the burqa, niqab, hijab, or any religious identifiers such as badges, caps, or stoles will not be allowed inside the college. According to the notice, students wearing any of these items will have to take them off in a designated common room on the ground floor before starting their day on the college campus. Although the college administration has not issued any official circular, detailed messages about the new dress code have been shared on WhatsApp groups for second and third-year students.
This decision has sparked outrage, with many students angry, especially because a large number of them are Muslims from the surrounding areas. There has been a request from some students for the college authorities to reconsider its dress code. The messages sent to students also specified that everyone should dress decently in formal attire. Male students are required to wear full or half shirts with regular trousers, while female students are advised to wear modest Indian or Western clothes.
College principal Vidya Gauri Lele also justified the dress code policy and said that students were informed about it in advance. He claimed that the Uniform Code was introduced to ensure uniformity and prevent discrimination based on caste, religion, or class.
Last year in August 2023, the college faced controversy when junior college girls wearing hijab were not allowed admission for not following the uniform policy. Meanwhile, responding to the widespread outrage, the college management defended the decision, claiming that the order was aimed at improving campus placements and inculcating ‘decency’ among students.
