Mount Carmel College dress code faces criticism from students, sparks debate
Bengaluru: A campaign opposing the dress code at Mount Carmel College has led to discussions over whether such regulations amount to moral policing and restrict students’ freedom of expression.
The campaign, shared on Instagram by Collective Bangalore, referred to the code as “new”. The college principal said the rules have existed for years, and the guidelines bar students from wearing flip-flops, cargo pants, round or V-neck T-shirts and sporting coloured hair. Male students are also required to maintain short and well-groomed hair.
Students have raised concerns not only about the dress code but also about restrictions on movement within the campus and the cancellation of student elections. Three students told Metrolife that they faced uncomfortable checks at the college gate. A first-year female student said she was once sent home for wearing pants with pockets and, on another occasion, for a sleeveless blouse despite a shirt worn over it. A male student said the rules created “unwanted fear among girls” and added that he has been repeatedly asked to cut his long hair.
Opinions from faculty and administrators across other institutions remain divided. Joshua Samuel, principal of Baldwin Methodist College, said dress codes ensure decency and equality. He added that his students generally accept them. Y C Kamala, associate professor at Government First Grade College, Malleswaram, said a dress code was “necessary” during college hours to keep the focus on academics. She also acknowledged that the idea of “decency” is subjective.
Venugopal K R, former principal of University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, supporting uniforms said that they help reduce visible disparities among students from different economic backgrounds. He compared moderate attire in classrooms to lab coats, which he said promote discipline and concentration.
In contrast, S Japhet, former vice-chancellor of Bengaluru Central University, opposed mandatory dress codes, particularly in women’s colleges. He said dress is “a form of self-expression.” He also argued that restrictions in the name of decency amount to moral policing. According to him such decision, should be made in consultation with students, parents and alumni.
Some academics described dress codes as a form of surveillance. A journalism professor said rules rooted in vague ideas of decency often lead to micromanagement, while Rolla Das, assistant professor at a private university, said arbitrary restrictions tend to reinforce veiled patriarchy and have a greater impact on students from marginalised groups.
Drawing parallels with the hijab ban controversy, critics of strict dress codes have warned that such rules could infringe on fundamental freedoms. Supporters of the dress code argue that the step encourage discipline, equality and academic focus.
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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
