Different norms for boys & girls? Delhi Women Commission issues notice to 7 varsities

Following allegations of gender discrimination, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has issued notices to seven universities and colleges for having different entry and exit timings for boys and girls in their respective hostels.

DCW has recently launched enquiry into a report compiled by a student activist group called 'Pinjra Tod', alleging that women faced discriminatory rules and living circumstances in hostel accommodations in Delhi.

In May, DCW had issued notice to 23 universities and two institutes seeking to know their existing rules for availing hostel facilities along with the annual fee following allegations of gender discrimination. "Commission has prima facie found different entry andexit timings for hostels for girls and boys in seven universitiesand colleges - Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology, GuruGobind Singh Indraprastha University, Jamia Hamdard, Jamia Milia Islamia, Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi Technological University and Ayurvedic & Unani Tibbia College," a DCW statement said.

"We have issued a notice to the principal and registrarof the same to explain reason for the discriminatory practice.10 institutions have not provided any information till date tothe commission and heads of the same have been summoned by thecommission on November 1-3," it added. The commission also noted that twelve instituions-KeshavMahavidyalaya, Ambedkar University, National Law University,Ramjas College, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Shr iVenkasteshwara College, University College for Medical Sciences, Jawahar Lal Nehru University, National School of Drama, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Maulana Azas MedicalCollege and National Institute of Technology-have same timingsof entry and exit for girls and boys.

"We believe that there should be no discriminatory rulesin the institutions on the basis of gender. We have alsowritten to colleges to list out the challenges faced by them,including lack of proper policing, streetlights and otherissues which might be preventing them from exercising uniformguidelines," DCW Chief Swati Maliwal said. "We have assured the institutions that we will worktowards addressing the concerns of the universities so thatrules in institutions of higher learning are nondiscriminatory. However, discrimination free campuses are a non negotiable," she added.