Lucknow, June 23 (IANS) Taking up cudgels on behalf of students, women legislators in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur district have opposed a proposal drafted by several college principals, banning students from wearing jeans on campus.
Women legislators demanded that the proposal of the Uttar Pradesh Principals Association (UPPA) should not be implemented in any of the colleges in the state and said they would raise the issue even in the state assembly, if UPPA goes ahead with the proposal.

“We will not allow UPPA to function in a dictatorial manner. The proposal formulated by UPPA that prohibits college students from wearing jeans is irrational,” Kalyanpur legislator Premlata Katiyar, of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), told IANS over telephone.

Echoing similar views, Sarsual constituency legislator Aruna Tomar, of the Samajwadi Party (SP), said: “Banning jeans on campus reflects the narrow minded approach of the UPPA officials, who feel the move will help strengthen discipline in colleges.”

“I want to ask the UPPA officials to cite just a single reason explaining how they expect academic standards in college will improve by banning students from wearing jeans,” she added.

The legislator from Chaubeypur constituency Pritibha Shukla, of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), said: “We could have understood a ban on mini-skirts and other short clothes worn by girls, but banning jeans on campus is foolish and cannot be justified. We will make every effort so that the controversial proposal of the UPPA does not get implemented.”

UPPA, which has members from nearly 400 degree colleges in the state, recently drafted the proposal, prohibiting students from wearing jeans.

Asked the reason for drafting such a proposal, UPPA convener Ashok Srivastava had told IANS: “We feel that the move would help strengthen discipline and regulation of colleges. Moreover, the step would also check display of ‘indecent clothes’ worn by some of the college students.”

UPPA is also contemplating on implementing a dress code for college students.

A few days ago, four colleges in Kanpur issued an order prohibiting girl students from wearing jeans on campus, claiming the move will check incidents of harassment.

Dayanand Degree College (DDC), Acharya Narendra Dev College (ANDC), Sen Balika College (SBC) and Johari Degree College (JDC) - all affiliated to the Kanpur University - have barred their students from wearing jeans.