Acharya Marathe College in Mumbai’s Chembur has decided to implement a new dress code for its degree college students, for the academic year starting in June 2024. This new rule comes nearly a year after the college first prohibited junior college students from wearing burqas or hijabs on campus.
According to the new dress code, students will not be allowed to wear burqas, niqabs, hijabs, or any other religious identifiers such as badges, caps, or stoles inside the college. Students who arrive wearing these items must remove them in a designated common room on the ground floor before they can go about their day on campus. While the college administration has not released an official circular, detailed messages about the new dress code have been shared on WhatsApp groups for second and third-year students.
This decision has caused anger among many students, especially since a large number of them are Muslims from the surrounding area. Some students have requested the college authorities to reconsider the dress code. The messages sent to students also specify that everyone must dress modestly in formal attire. Male students are required to wear either full or half shirts with regular trousers, while female students are advised to wear modest Bharatiya or Western clothing. Principal Dr Vidyagauri Lele declined to comment on the matter. Last August, the college faced controversy when junior college girls wearing hijabs were not allowed entry for not following the uniform policy.
(Featured Image Source: The Indian Express)
