Delhi University's St Stephen's College bans shorts on campus, students call it 'moral policing'

Circular issued by Delhi University‘with St Stephen’s College has banned students from wearing shorts in some parts of the campus, sparking mass protests on Tuesday, with many students defying the order on the first day of the new academic session, Hindustan Times reported. The administration has also banned smoking in the entire premises and declared it a smoke-free zone.

As The Times of India reported, the students called the policy “moral policing” and described it as an invasion of personal freedom that directly infringes on their choice of clothing.

Faculty and students said the college has discouraged the wearing of shorts for years, but this is the first time a formal ban has been issued.

The unwritten rule became official

The July 26 circular included an order by College Chancellor Susan Ellias banning shorts from most of the campus, including classrooms, chapel, dining hall, tutorial programs, auditorium and libraries. “All juniors are required to strictly follow campus rules,” it read.

A third-year student, who spoke to TOI on condition of anonymity, said wearing shorts was earlier discouraged as part of an unwritten “college tradition”.

Another student, who also requested anonymity, told TOI that the practice specifically inconvenienced members of the college’s sports teams, saying, “Students returning from sports practice were sometimes denied entry to the mess because they were wearing shorts.”

However, a faculty member dismissed the notice as of “small consequence,” adding that “in the nearly three decades I’ve been teaching there, I’ve never seen anyone disciplined for wearing shorts.” School policy requires students to be modestly dressed on campus, but does not specifically list any prohibited clothing, the faculty member said.

Push for purity

The circular also designated the campus as a “non-smoking zone” with a warning that “any violation of this rule would result in strict disciplinary action.” This appears to be part of a university-wide effort for greater cleanliness, as the circular outlined that students must “maintain the cleanliness of the campus using the attached trash cans or trash cans.”

Students were also asked to carry identification cards at all times and to present them before entering the cafeteria.