Guests not allowed in PU girls’ hostels after 10 pm

Amarjot Kaur 

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 11

Even though the residents of girls’ hostels at Panjab University earned an all-time entry and exit access after a 48-day protest in December, the Syndicate’s decision in favour of certain guidelines (fine and warnings in writing) has ‘tweaked’ with the 24X7 access to the varsity’s female hostellers. 

While the Syndicate, on May 28, gave its nod to the recommendations of a nine-member committee constituted to resolve the problems faced by wardens of girls’ hostels after the implementation of 24X7 access rule, no such guidelines have been framed for the residents of PU’s boys’ hostels.

In a meeting convened on April 8, a committee, including vice-president of PUCSC Daler Singh, had recommended that woman hostellers must mark their entry in the mobility register to record their movement outside the hostel post 10 pm, or else they’ll be issued written warnings by the wardens concerned. “Defaulting more than twice will lead to expulsion of the student from the hostel,” the committee resolved. 

It was also resolved that if female hostellers failed to mark their attendance between 9 pm and 10 pm, the warden concerned would issue written warnings. After two warnings, the student will be expelled. There was a rider on guest entry too. The guest entry is allowed only till 10 pm. In case of late entry, the student will have to pay a minimum fine of Rs 300.

To this, former PUCSC president Kanupriya said, “The amendments made to the all-time access for women hostellers are bringing back the wardens in the position of authority. These conditions are not applied at the boys’ hostels. No such register is maintained at the boys’ hostel to track their mobility or show how many boys are there in the hostel.”

She added, “In the first week of May, a boy was thrashed in Hostel No. 2. They are the ones who need such guidelines, not us. Also, such fines and restrictions will take the university a step back in the progress it made to implement equal rights for both boys and girls.”

Dean Student Welfare (Women) Neena Caplash reserved her comments on the ‘disparity’ of guidelines for girls’ and boys’ hostels. However, while voicing the concerns of accountability that rests on hostel wardens, she said, “Most wardens would not know where the hostel resident is if she doesn’t sign the mobility or attendance register. The wardens are answerable not just to the university authorities, but also to the parents of students staying in girls’ hostels. The guest entry rule was ambiguous after the 24X7 access was implemented. We have brought the old rule back.”

Prof Emanuel Nahar, Dean Students Welfare (Men), shared, “There are registers in the boys’ hostel too.”

In the Senate meeting on December 15 last year, it was resolved that no fine for late entry and absenteeism shall be imposed on hostel residents. It was also resolved that only one register shall be maintained for hostel residents to record their entry and exit at the hostel gate after 11pm. The Senate had set up a 10-member panel  to frame guidelines.

Fresh conditions

• ID card of the hostel is mandatory for residents for making an entry in the mobility register
• For going out of the hostel after 10 pm, hostellers to mark the mobility register; defenders to be expelled after two written warnings
• Boarders to mark attendance between 9 pm and 10 pm; offenders to be expelled after two written warnings
• No guest entry after 10 pm; erring students will be fined as per rule
• Only two gates will be opened — main gate of Hostel No. 6 and the gate of Hostel No.7. The gate of Girls’ Hostel No. 5 to be closed after 10 pm