Rajasthan to introduce uniforms in colleges, Congress cries ‘saffronisation’

The Rajasthan government has clarified on the diktat to introduce uniform for college students in the state. Speaking to mediapersons, Rajasthan Education Minister Kiren Maheshwari said that it was the demand of students that there should be a dress code in colleges.

“Yeh students ki hi demand ki unke colleges mein dress code hona chahiye, jisse yeh clarity aaye ki padhne wala bachcha hai (it was a demand of students that there must be a dress code in their colleges, so that there’s clarity that they are students),” she said.

The Rajasthan education minister further clarified that they have not issued any direction on the colour of the uniform that the colleges allow. “In the end, students have to decide,” she added.

The Congress party, meanwhile, hit out at the state government over the new directive alleging that the Vasundhara Raje government was working on the directions of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

“Rajasthan mein sarkar RSS ke ishaare pe chal rahi. Pehle curriculum mein badlaav kara, phir school mein bhagva kapde pehenne ka notice diya. Ab sab kuch bhagva karke, yeh sabko baba banana chahte hain (In Rajasthan, the government is working on the directions of RSS. First they changed the curriculum, then they issues directions for school students to wear saffron. Now they are making everyone wear saffron and will make them godmen and godwomen),” said Congress leader Govind Dev Singh Dotasar.

According to local reports, the government is expected to take feedback from student unions and college department heads on the uniform for each college. The PinkCity Post quoted an Education Department official as saying that the idea behind the move is to impose discipline. He also said that the uniforms would be made compulsory from the new academic session.

The feedback of each college will be forwarded to the government by principals of colleges concerned, following which a final decision on the colour would be taken, said the report.