No hostel polls for girls: Jamia accused of discrimination

New Delhi: Pinjra Tod campaigners have alleged that Jamia Millia Islamia University is discriminating against girls by holding hostel committee elections only for the boys residential accommodation.

The varsity, however, says that there will be elections for the girls hostels too and there is no discrimination. "The practice of conducting elections... has been brought back in the boys hostel this year. In the girls hostel, however, there are no such elections and the two committees, mess and cultural, are only in name and completely defunct," a girl student, who is part of the campaign, said on condition of anonymity.

Jamia spokesperson Mukesh Ranjan said, "there is no discrimination on the university's part and the elections in the girls hostels will be notified soon".

The varsity had courted a controversy last year for its notice barring girls from taking permission for any late night-outs which did not go down well with a section of students who had termed it as "sexist" and "partial".

The protests against the notice triggered the "Pinjra Tod" movement against discriminatory rules in girls hostels in various varsities across Delhi.