A controversy erupted at Acharya Marathe College in Chembur, Maharashtra, when the college administration issued a notice banning jeans and imposing strict dress codes on students. According to the notice, male students were required to wear formal attire, while female students were permitted to wear either ethnic or Western clothing, provided it did not reveal their religion.
The notice explicitly prohibited items such as torn jeans, T-shirts, revealing dresses, and jerseys. Additionally, it mandated that items like Nakab, Hizab, Burkha, Stole, Cap, and Badge had to be removed when students moved to common rooms on the ground floor before accessing the entire campus.
The controversial policy faced immediate backlash from students, with some being denied entry to the campus the following day for not complying with the new dress code. This led to a group of nine female students filing a petition in the Mumbai High Court challenging the college’s directive.
Despite their efforts, the court dismissed their petition, which further intensified the debate over the college’s right to impose such stringent dress regulations. The issue sparked discussions on social media and within academic circles, questioning the balance between institutional rules and individual freedoms, particularly concerning dress choices and religious expression on campus.
