Kerala HC to hear curfew timings plea of Kozhikode Medical College students on December 15

The pleas concerning the curfew timing for women students at the hostel of Kozhikode Medical College will be heard on December 15, 2022. The Kerala government has been directed to issue an order revising the curfew timings and has asked the state High Court for some time to do the same.

The Kerala High Court had earlier directed the state government to explain why a strict curfew of 9.30 pm was being imposed on the girl students of the Kozhikode Medical College. The court was hearing a plea filed by the students against this rule imposed by the college today, December 7. While hearing the plea, Justice Devan Ramachandran remarked, "The nights are young in JNU Campus, New Delhi and it is alive 24 hours," The New Indian Express reported.

However, the Kerala government issued an order yesterday, December 7 which stated that the curfew timing of 9.30 pm is strictly applicable for first-year students. There should be no gender discrimination on the part of the college authorities in this regard, the order said. It also noted that if in any case, a student returns to the hostel after 9.30 pm, a note should be submitted from the parent to the warden stating that if the student returns after the time mentioned in the note, they can be permitted to enter after signing in the movement register.

Additionally, the order stated that after a student registers his/her ID card details, signature and time of arrival in the movement register, the warden or hostel-related officials need not ask for further explanation. Moreover, the aforementioned officials should ensure that security devices (street lights, hostel surveillance camera — CCTV) are in working condition every week, the order said.