Kerala dress code row: "Why not 'mundus' for men, if 'sarees' for women"

Amid the furore over the ban on women from wearing jeans at the government medical college in Trivandrum, the Confederation of Medical College Doctors has called on the education centre to create a dress code with a rationale and without any discrimination.

Speaking to ANI here, member of the Confederation of Medical College Doctors Santhosh Kumar said that there is no problem in an institution having a dress code, but the problem arises when it is rife with discrepancies and discriminations.

"For example, what is wrong with jeans as everyone is comfortable and it is worn by all in Kerala. Same goes for leggings and tee shirts. Discrepancies like if women are wearing sarees, why not ask the men to wear mundus as well? It is also a socially acceptable form of clothing," he said.

Asserting that the need to be inclusive in a setting where people have different thoughts is of prime importance, Kumar called for the need of a rationale before implementing such a dress code.

He further called on the management of the college to mull over the demands of their students, keep their comfort in mind and reconsider the changes to their circular on the dress code.

The Government Medical College in state capital Thiruvananthapuram came under flak for issuing a dress code for girls prohibiting them from wearing jeans, leggings or 'noisy ornaments'.

In a circular issued on Thursday, the vice principal of the college has stated a set of rules in regards to the MBBS course to ensure regular attendance and the final internal marks.

The circular, at the bottom, points out 'do's' and 'dont's' for both boys and girls, asking them to be dressed formally.

While the boys have been ordered to maintain a 'neat and clean dress and appearance with formal dress and shoes', the women have been asked to wear formals which specifically mean 'churidar or saree' and that their hair must be 'put up'.

The circular also prohibits female students from wearing 'jeans, leggings or noisy ornaments.'

This is not the first instance of the 'dress code' menace having hit educational institutions in the state. A college in Kozhikode had banned girls from wearing jeans on campus earlier this year.

Female students, especially in the medical and engineering courses, have complained that it becomes a herculean task to manoeuvre themselves while clad in a saree or worrying about dupattas, especially during exams or in practicals where ease of movement is important.