Madhya Pradesh: MP varsity VC asks NIFT students to wear 'decent clothes'

Bhopal: The Vice Chancellor of Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University, Tariq Zafar has advised the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) to issue a directive to its women students to wear "decent" clothes on Sunday.

NIFT rents its premises on the campus of Bhoj Open University.

"In the name of modern or Western clothes, students can't be allowed to come in clothes which do not look good in classes on the university campus. There are students of Bhoj University as well as Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi University on the campus," Zafar had said.

Reacting to the advice given by the vice chancellor, social activist Brinda Adige has called the suggestion patriarchal and as absolute 'nonsense'.

She said, "It is absolutely nonsense coming from the vice chancellor of a university that women should wear decent clothing. Why does he not look at men who do not look at women in a decent manner?"

"Nothing is going to change if he thinks that sexual assaults will reduce if women dress a particular way. It is absolutely wrong and is only his perception and his patriarchal outlook," she added.

Adige asserted that the directive being issued goes against the system of education and gender parity in a democracy. She also urged the vice chancellor to teach his male students and professors to look at women with dignity and change perceptions.