Mysore University Bars Movement of Female Students after 6:30 pm.

The University of Mysore was established on July 27th, 1916. It is the sixth oldest in the country and the first in the state of Karnataka. It was the first university to be established outside the limits of British India. The University is located in Mysuru which happens to be the cultural center of Karnataka, a very culturally significant state with its palaces, temples, and gardens. On the 24th of August, 2021, the prestigious university had fallen under the midst of a criminal investigation when a girl pursuing her MBA degree in the university, withholding the dreams of many girls that couldn’t fulfill the dreams on their own, she, unfortunately, met the same fate they all did. The dream of one more girl is destroyed by the uncertain behavior and barbaric nature of humans.

The 23-year-old who was said to have been returning back to the university from a forested area with her boyfriend was allegedly gang-raped by four or five men and her boyfriend was thrashed by the same group. This ramped up the whole city of Mysuru, with the police on red and high alert to catch the criminals, and due to their high profile, they happened to catch the criminals who were noted to have been from the neighboring district of Erode, Tamil Nadu. With the police on one side, as a safety measure- the University of Mysore had barred people from entering the Kukkarhalli Lake premises after 6 pm and they had also issued a statement through a circular, preventing the lone movement of girls and relaxing inside the Gangotri campus of the University after 6.30 pm.

This decision by the University, felt a lot of whiplashes when the girl students of the campus expressed anger and rage at this decision, questioning it with a strong sense of disapproval. “Is this the freedom given young women at a time when the country is celebrating 75 years of Independence?” Monica, a research scholar has gone on record to say “ As research scholars, we can’t work in a time-bound manner. Now we have to stop research work as per the circular. The varsity should have taken students into confidence and sought their opinion before issuing the circular” Due to this whiplash and backlash, the University of Mysore revoked the circular, the revoked circular is to be rectified. Vice-chancellor, Prof Hemantha Kumar said “The order has been issued after the police department raised concern over the safety of girl students in the campus which has lonely places. The guideline has been issued in the interests of the security of female students.” He went on to state that the wording of the circular “may have been the problem” and all that the circular intended to convey was that girl students instead of walking across campus alone, can be accompanied by a friend. He gave assurance to the students, that he would see to the circular being rectified.

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