Indian women's college bans burqas as part of dress code crackdown

A women's college in northeast India has prohibited students from wearing burqas in the classroom, arguing that the full-body garment violates the institution's dress code. The rule will be enforced with fines.

JD Women's College of Patna issued a notice to its student body stating that the face- and body-covering garb, worn by women in some Islamic traditions, would no longer be tolerated on campus.

"All students have to come to college in the prescribed dress code… Students are prohibited from wearing 'burqa' in college," the statement read, according to local media.

Those who violate the rule will receive a fine of Rs 250 ($3.50), the college warned.

The school's proctor, Veena Amrit, told the Hindustan Times that the guideline was put in place to ensure "uniformity" in the classroom.

While it's not yet clear how students will react to the new rule, dress code crackdowns at other all-women institutions in India have not fared well. In September, St. Francis College for Women in Hyderabad was forced to abandon a decree calling for more conservative dress after students held a rally against the new measure.

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