No ban on jeans, UP government warns colleges

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday warned colleges in the state against ban on wearing jeans on campuses, and said it would not tolerate any dress restriction and will take legal action against educational institutions implementing it.

"We have come to know that several colleges are mulling a proposal to ban jeans, while some colleges have already issued an order in this regard. The government is against it," said Kamran Rizvi, secretary to Chief Minister Mayawati.

Rizvi was speaking to reporters here after principals of many colleges in Uttar Pradesh agreed to a proposal to ban students from wearing jeans on campus and work out a dress code for them.

The government has directed the college authorities to withdraw with immediate effect the orders banning jeans on campus, Rizvi said, adding legal action would be taken against those colleges that fail to follow the government directives.

Uttar Pradesh Principals' Association (UPPA), which has members from nearly 400 degree colleges in the state, recently drafted the proposal.

"The proposal has been drafted recently under the banner of the Uttar Pradesh Principals Association (UPPA) - a group having members from nearly 400 degree colleges in the state," UPPA convener Ashok Srivastava told IANS over telephone from Kanpur.

However, he said any final decision would only be taken after consulting students, and their parents and guardians.

Asked the reason for drafting such a proposal, Srivastava said: "We feel that the move would help strengthen discipline and regulation of colleges. Moreover, the step would also check display of 'indecent clothes' worn by some of the college students."

College students are up in the arms against the UPPA for drafting such a proposal.

"They (UPPA members) will in no way be able to implement the proposal in colleges as students, their parents and guardians would definitely oppose it," Diksha Mathur, a B.Sc student of the Juhari Devi Degree College in Kanpur, told IANS.

Four colleges in Kanpur had earlier issued an order prohibiting girl students from wearing jeans on campus, claiming the move will check incidents of harassment.

Dayanand Degree College, Acharya Narendra Dev College, Sen Balika College and Johari Degree College - all affiliated to the Kanpur University - have barred their students from wearing jeans.