Once again, the NIRF rankings for the year 2019 are out. This time, the government has also begun the special ARIIA (Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements) award. With already so many of these coronations in the play – Visitor’s award, NIRF ranks, Eminence Status, let alone a host of private organizations and media houses which too rank and grade universities and colleges, it’s really a good question to ask what more the ‘Atal Innovative’ tag does.
Coincidentally, it’s also admission season. Every one of these awards suddenly became crucial for the top echelon of colleges. However, considering a few of these, it’s important to take a step back and actually ask ourselves some important questions – why is it that despite everything said and done, several of these names pop up when we talk of campus sexism and excesses on students? Does student welfare (in a true, non-patronizing sense) matter to the policy makers? For how long can our campuses get away with sexism?
Take for instance a few of the following:
1) Miranda House, Delhi University
While the NIRF ranks are another feather in the cap for one of the oldest colleges in DU’s campus, it’s worth knowing that, over the last one year, there have been several run-ins amongst students and authorities over a few trivial issues. The first was the extension of hostel curfews, which as a sort of compromise was zeroed down to 9:00 p.m.
The students alleged that most of the demands and of course the moral policing stayed intact despite the ‘negotiation.’ Similar protests broke out against several other colleges including top shots as St. Stephens and Hindu.
2) Anna University
While Anna University is one of the oldest colleges in India, producing alumni the likes of whom have served the country and brought fame to India even at the global stage. It’s shocking how sexist and damaging some rules of the college’s affiliated to it remain. This includes hostel curfews for women ranging from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (if not even earlier), in a state when for most of the year it’s not even dark by 7:00 p.m. Restrictions on outings which are considered as ‘privileges’ granted to women, rather than a basic right.
Moral policing which often results in separate staircases, seating arrangements, lifts, amongst others for girls so that no scope of even a light chat is available with male counterparts to some ridiculous ideas which include running a rope or rod partitioning a bus into two halves for designated genders.
3) Aligarh Muslim University
The first time the university came under fire was when its former VC made loose comments when asked to extend curfew and library time for women. Students have alleged through a lot of rules are not followed religiously, they nevertheless exist.
3) National Institute Of Technology(s)
While IITs to a large extent remain liberal powerhouses, NITs are often left with administrators who wear sexism proudly on their sleeves. Recently, NIT Agartala protested against the curfew rules which includes restricting freedom of women inside the campus both on weekdays and weekends and the compulsory hostel curfew at 6:00 p.m., while administrators agreed to raise the curfew to 7:00 p.m., it’s surprising how sexist modern premier institutes are.
Similar gag orders on female students exist in various other NITs, especially in the South – such as Trichy, Calicut and Karnataka.
NIT Kurukshetra recently was in news for an order which warned women to ‘not loiter’ after 6:00 p.m.
4) SRM University
While the President has awarded this university the runner’s up position in the newly constituted ARIIA award, it’s shocking how a legitimate protest against sexual harassment was treated here.
Instead of assuring students about a follow up, the wardens made comments shaming the complainant for being a north Indian and dressing inappropriately. When the protests turned out of hand, several other details like locking up female students in hostels by 6:30 p.m., and the indifferent attitude of the administration were revealed.
The implications can be seen as a drop in the number of applicants for its entrance exam. Maybe this will force the university to change its attitude. Several of the truths that came out resulted in a lot of backlash especially from engineering aspirants outside the traditional southern base of the country.
5) VIT Vellore
While awarding the institution for its innovative approaches, it would’ve been worth asking if whistling, barricading, slut shaming, morally policing inside the campus and restricting movement outside and in general, and allegedly restricting career growth options for women, while having rules fit for the Victorian era if not earlier can amount to being ‘innovative.’
What’s worse are the gag orders on any protest, or on speaking out against alleged incidents of harassment and even deaths. While it markets itself as student-friendly, the reality is far from it.
Too bad the NIRF couldn’t factor these in due to no one tweeting and hashtagging it.
Like SRM, after boasting a record of nearly 2.25 lakh applicants for its entrance exam few years ago, the resulting negative word of mouth from its former alumni (most have written about their experiences on sites such as Quora, YKA, Facebook, etc.) and the power of social media platforms have led to a drop in applicants.
Rules used to sell the campus to protective and conservative parents no longer sell, especially outside Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, which can be seen in the drop in applicants. Especially considering the ironies such as inviting calling freedom of speech activists and women who’ve broken glass ceilings in various fields. to speak at the VIT campus.
The Way Ahead
It’s worth asking NIRF to come clean on a lot of issues. While the UGC and AICTE have several enactments which call for global exposure and liberation of minds of students, it’s clear that in such environments the results are counterproductive.
For a lot of colleges, especially in the south, including the liberal arts colleges such as Christ University or colleges even in the state of Kerala (where a recent HC judgment may be a turning point) rules pertaining to end gender discrimination and stone age gender segregation aren’t enforced. Students are at the mercy of administrators. These rules often lead to the reinforcing of evils like honour killings!
Few fundamental questions about whether universities can get away with blatant sexism and oppression remain. Or can it be that student welfare isn’t worth factoring in?
Or the even more dangerous idea that the NIRF conducts no background check? Maybe it’s research is left to a few dozen tweets about propaganda.
While few positive steps such as Pinjra Tod protests, Punjab University relaxing its rules and the Kerala HC judgment have come about, broadly speaking the situation is as grim as ever.