Want to study in the University of Calicut? You'll have to sign an affidavit that says you won't smoke or drink. The official website of the University of Calicut says that one has to clear the relevant entrance examination and submit academic documents, in order to enroll at the university. Adding one more criterion to the list, the university has now asked the parents of the students to submit an affidavit stating that the students will not use alcohol or cigarettes in the university or any of its affiliated colleges.
The order that came out on February 27, had initially left everyone bewildered as it implied that they wanted the parents to sign an affidavit saying that they would not use alcohol or cigarettes. The university authorities were quick to come out with a clarification that they wanted only an undertaking from the students. "This is only meant for the students," says the university's spokesperson Mohammed Ali. "We already have a norm where the parents submit an affidavit saying that their wards will not indulge in ragging. This is a similar exercise. We want to make our campuses free of alcohol and tobacco," he says.
He added that the decision was based on a previous meeting that the university administration had conducted. "We all know how bad the drug, tobacco and alcohol problem is in our universities. This was one little step to combat it," he adds.
