Campuses across the country have been protesting against differential hostel rules for men and women.
The University Grants Commission in its latest guidelines has stated that "concern for the safety of women students must not be cited to impose discriminatory rules for women in the hostels".
This comes at a time when campuses across the country have been protesting against differential hostel rules for men and women, especially curfews. If colleges don't comply then they can be punished by stopping grants or even withdrawing affiliation.
However, the colleges in Delhi University dismiss the issue. "We don't have any discrimination between boys and girls with regard to hostel rules except a minor difference in curfew. Girls themselves have decided that 8 pm is good time and boys have gone for 10 pm," said RP Rustagi, Principal of Shri Ram College for Commerce.
"But if they decide on a change from 8pm to 9pm or 10pm, we'll go for that", she said.
"In my college, all the hostel rules are same for the boys and girls," Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Principal of Ramjas College told NDTV.
Rules for women are enforced a lot more strictly while those for the men are very rarely enforced. Additionally, due to administrative crackdown in the past, students in hostel presently are scared of speaking out against these rules.
"We have to be back by 10pm. On coming back, we sign on the attendance register after which we're locked in. We can't order food. Many a times water runs out and we can't go out to get water. We can't even go out for emergency purposes," said a girl, who did not want to be named.
"We don't have any such rule. We don't have a curfew. We are just required to sign on an attendance sheet at 10pm and that is also not very strictly followed," said a boy, on condition of anonymity.
Pinjra Tod, a movement protesting against discriminatory hostel rules says that it's not just about freedom of movement but also economic disadvantages as women hostellers in DU pay about Rs 30,000 more as hostel fees annually than men.
Moreover, these rules also stop women from accessing the cultural capital of the city and create sexist binaries. "I can be the President of my college student Union, organise an event myself and still be made to leave before the event gets over because of my curfew, said Shambhawi Vikram, an activist with Pinjra Tod.