Delhi University's Hindu College said that it will not accept admission of students to its new girls' hostel this year after various protests by students regarding its rules and high fees.
The students has demanded to revoke the "discriminatory" rules which included a mandatory dress code for girls and strict time regulation.
However, soon after the protests, the college principal Anju Srivastava issued a circular on Friday stating, "There will be no admission to the girls’ hostel. Students who have taken the prospectus may return the same and get their prospectus fee refunded.”
The hostel prospectus asked the girls to be dressed according to the “normal norm of society” in the common areas. The girls hostel is a first in Hindu and has a total of 200 seats.
The main reason behind the protests by students was the unusual hike in the hostel fees in comparison to that of the boys' hostel's. Reports state that the boys in the Hindu college hostel pay Rs 47,000 and the fees for girls was increased thrice that amount where girls were expected to pay Rs 82,000.
Pinjra Tod, a campaign to fight such discriminatory rules, led the protest and warned that the protest will go on irrespective of whether the hostel will be open or closed for the students this year.
One of the protesters said, "We will keep a close watch on the Hindu administration and continue our protests to ensure that the exorbitant women’s hostel fee is revoked, and the regressive rules and regulations removed," Hindustan Times reported.
A suo moto cognizance has been taken of the rules by the National Commission for Women (NCW) and the organisation has issued a notice to the college seeking an explanation on how the rules were set for the female students.
