After a recent post on Jodhpur's emergence as an education hub, India Ink received comments describing unreasonable restrictions on college campuses. We scoured the Internet and found many rules in college dormitories, known as hostels in India, that imposed curfews and bans on certain activities even though most of the students are adults. Moreover, the rules for women were often more restrictive. Here's a selection:
MCM DAV College for Women
The resident should positively return to the hostel by 5 p.m.; otherwise she will not be allowed to enter without the permission of the principal.
Outings will be allowed to the resident every weekend. They can avail of only two days out and two nights out in a month.
Evening assembly is compulsory for all residents.
Residents must observe study hours strictly from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. [college's emphasis]
White uniform is compulsory on Monday.
Other rules are listed here.
 Loyola College
On all the days excepting Saturdays, the FIRST BELL for silence is rung at 8:25 p.m. And the SECOND BELL is rung at 8:30 p.m. At the stroke of the first bell, all are to move towards their respective rooms and at the stroke of the second bell the GRAND SILENCE begins and the hostellers are to be in their rooms. A short prayer after the second bell marks the beginning of the Grand Silence. This GRAND SILENCE lasts till the start of the time for breakfast of the following day. Avoid roaming around the hostel premises during the Grand Silence. Use of mobile phones during the silence hours is strictly prohibited and will be confiscated if found using. No one should be found in another's room during Grand Silence. [sic]
Camera cell-phones are totally banned from the college campus and hence also from the hostel premises. Possession of camera cell-phones will lead to confiscation by the authorities.
Moving about in lungi (kailee) in public places such as mess halls, Sauliere Hall and during public worship is to be avoided.
Read the other rules here.
V.I.T. University
Parents should not encourage students to go to picnics/tours outside Vellore [the city, where the main campus is located].
Perfect silence is to be maintained in the hostel premises including rooms, bathrooms, dining halls, corridors, common areas etc.
Use of abusive, vulgar and unparliamentarily [sic] language against the hostel/mess staff is strictly forbidden.
Day scholars are not allowed in the hostel. Hostellers should not encourage entry of day scholars.
Celebrating birthday parties inside the hostel rooms is strictly prohibited.
Collection of donation for any purpose (religious/ otherwise) is also strictly prohibited.
Students are not allowed to play skating rollers and o ther outdoor games inside the hostel to prevent breakages and accidents. Sliding along the hand rails/rest of stairs and fast running/ climbing down should be totally avoided to prevent accidents.
Absentees/latecomers (without prior permission from the Warden) will be suitably punished.
In case of any quarrel between or among room-mates, it should be reported to the Warden for appropriate action.
Students are not allowed to keep any power-driven two-wheeler vehicles in the hostel.
The hostellers are not allowed to keep air coolers, musical instruments, cassette record players, and computers, TV, electric irons or any electrical equipment without written permission of the Chief Warden. Unauthorized possession will lead to confiscation of the goods.
The usage of computer is for academic purpose only.
The University/ Hostel authorities will conduct surprise checks periodically, and if anyone is found violating the above rule [on computer usag e], disciplinary action will be taken against him/her.
You can read the other rules here.
Global Group of Institutions
Hostelites are not permitted to allow visitors of the opposite sex into rooms at any time for whatever reason. Any hostelites found violating this rule will be evicted from the hostel.
Possessions, distribution and use of firearms, lethal weapons including air gun, contraband drugs, alcohol, toxic and hazardous material are strictly prohibited in the hostel. Keeping electric appliances such as T.V., VCR, heater, iron, oven etc. in the rooms is also prohibited.
Other rules are listed here.
 Indian Institute of Technology Delhi:
For girls: All residents should be normally back in the hostel by 8:30 p.m. In the pursuit of their academic work, they may stay in their laboratories, computer center or library till 11 p.m. but be back in the hostel latest by 11 p.m.
I.I.T. Delhi lists no such rule for the “boys.†All rules specific to “boys†have to do with outsiders' visits. Those for “girls†are related to keeping them in the hostel and monitoring their whereabouts if they stay out late.
You can see the rules here.“Women need more protection,†Professor S.K. Gupta, dean of student affairs at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, told India Ink. “If they go out at 2 a.m. and something happens, who'll be responsible? Boys - no one says anything.â€
Students from various colleges say that not all rules are rigorously followed. Sometimes they are bent, and wardens turn a blind eye.
In other cases, the authorities have been criticized for creating arbitrary rules as a short-term solution to a problem.
Noopur Raval, 21, who did her master's program in Jawaharlal Nehru University, or J.N.U., in Delhi, said that after a fire in the room opposite hers in the dormitory in January, h eaters were banned. Since there's no central heating in the building, the heaters had provided the only source of warmth at a time when the temperature dipped as low as 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit).
“The wardens did rounds and confiscated kettles and heaters, slapped fines and so on claiming they had all the right to, flashing the J.N.U. hostel manual copy,†said Ms. Raval. But she said after students called for a meeting and decided that wardens should educate students about precautions they need to take and that alternate arrangements should be made for heating, the wardens “nodded vigorously and forgot about it.â€
“I suspect students have started using appliances again,†said Ms. Raval, who recently graduated. “I am not blaming wardens, but it's really stupid if extremely educated professors in a premier university who preach stuff in classes resort to stupid, quick solutions just to evade the matter.â€
A senior warden of Ms. R aval's dormitory declined to comment, saying it's a controversial topic.
Do you think these rules are justified? Should there be different rules for women and men in college dorms? Feel free to write to us about specific rules that your college mandates, in the comments section below.
