Chennai varsity’s bizarre ‘rulebook’ for girls triggers social media outrage

Chennai: In a circular that has gone viral on social media, a local engineering college in Chennai has issued bizarre and regressive diktats to girl students under the title 'Big no for girls'.

The guidelines include rules like ''No Whatsapp, Facebook and other related types of this kind'' and include a set of 21 rules that prohibit women from wearing leggings, short kurta and tops. The list of tabooed items does not permit them to sport loose hair-dos or catchy and big ornaments, fancy slippers, heels, patialas and goes on picking every tiny detail to control girl students. And perhaps the worst of all -- "should not talk to boy students."

"Ok, is this an Engineering College or a khap panchayat?! Idiotic draconian dress and moral codes for women! #Chennai," renowned author and feminist Kavitha Krishnan said.

Reddit users, who took to the social media platform starting an Ask Me Anything (AMA) thread, recounted their worst times during their study there. One of the users said "It has been four years since I graduated and the rules have gotten worse... To people who say students are not protesting, it is not entirely true. During my final years, there was a strike/protest by some students... (But) the protest were quickly snuffed out. The instigators were subdued. Parents were called. Suspensions were dished out. Everything back to 'normal."'

The college authorities, however, have denied the allegations and called it a 'prank' to defame the institute. Engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu are popular for regressive and conservative outlook on gender segregation in the college.

Ok, is this an Engineering College or a khap panchayat?! Idiotic draconian dress and moral codes for women! #Chennai pic.twitter.com/uDfwdZrzgL

— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) September 20, 2015