Female students at NIT Tiruchy protest demanding access to study facilities after 9 pm

Female students of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Tiruchy on Friday, October 14 organised a sit-in protest on the campus to extend their entry time into the campus, which is 9 pm now. They also demanded to allow them access to the facilities meant for students inside the campus after 9 pm. 

Female students alleged that only male students were granted access to those facilities whereas female students were denied, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express. 

The many restrictions

They alleged they were not allowed to use the students' facility centres like Octagon (Computer lab) which works 24x7, students activities centres and campus food joints, among others, which were permitted only for the boys without any time restriction.

A female final-year student who does not want to be named, said, being in the final year, students have many projects to complete but without a wifi facility in their hostel (Opal F) they were unsure of how to complete them. "WiFi facility is available at the Computer Lab only, which is fully leveraged by the male students," she added. 

In addition to this, they alleged, they were fined heavily whenever they came inside the campus after 9 pm, whereas the boys were not. When the students approached the administration regarding their permission to access the above-mentioned facility centres, their demands were rejected by the administration on the grounds the campus lacked security arrangements and that it might not be safe for female students. The protesting students termed this as gender discrimination.

What did officials say?

Contrary to this, G Aghila, NIT Director, said, they had enough security cameras and security personnel that ensured and prioritised students' safety. However, she added, students should use the computer centres and other facilities before 9.00 pm. "The students' demand for the extension of the entry time cannot be accepted due to security reasons," said sources in the administration. 

They added that the students' protest was not reasonable and could not be taken seriously. "These issues come up now and then, most of them are created by students who are unhappy with the rules," said a professor at the institution. He added that the students should learn to use the resources within the given time which would be sufficient.