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#PinjraTod at NIT Trichy | What is happening?

Students at the pretentious NIT Trichy, in Tamil Nadu, have been protesting for basic rights. Students demand to change the rules

By Rajeev Tyagi 16 Oct 2022

New Update

Students at the pretentious NIT Trichy, in Tamil Nadu, have been protesting for basic rights. Students demand to change the rules which restrict female students from being outside the hostel after 9 pm. While there is no such rule for boys hostel. Interestingly, there is a 30 mins relaxation on the weekends.

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A post shared by I AM AN NITIAN (@i_am_an_nitian)

NIT Trichy is one of the finest NITs and is ranked NIRF rank 8. And, the female students have to answer the roll call at 9 pm at their hostels. This is the 21st century, the era of 5G.

The below-mentioned Twitter thread fairly explains, why this is a big issue if discriminatory treatment wasn't a good enough reason.

*College with NIRF rank 8, All the girls should be in before 9PM*.
NIT TRICHY follows an archaic roll call rule wherein ONLY women have to be inside of hostel right before 9pm on weekdays & 9.30pm on weekends whereas men have NO such rule. #PinjraTodNITT #NITTrichy #inequality pic.twitter.com/gkY1FaQxCB
— pinjratod (@PinjraTodNITT) October 14, 2022

What is the Pinjra Tod movement?

Started in the Delhi-NCR, Pinjra Tod is a women’s collective that aims to fight for equal rights for female students and women, particularly inside college campuses. The movement in the Delhi-NCR, but have spread to other universities with an aim to have equal and less-restricted policies for women.

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A post shared by Pinjra Tod (@pinjratod)

Pinjra Tod, meaning Break The Cage, can also be perceived as a metaphor to get women out of the patriarchal mindset of society towards them.

Netizens

The people on internet have come out in support of the protest. There are people who feel otherwise, and we will give them no space on this platform.

Incredibly proud of the women at my alma mater, NIT Trichy who are protesting against restrictive timings at their students hostel.

It’s time for change and these women need our support. #PinjraTodNitt https://t.co/XY4AFJ1ObT
— Praveen Gopal Krishnan (@peegeekay) October 15, 2022

Happens when society puts the burden of entire family's honour on the girls vagina. In solidarity with the protesting students. 💪 https://t.co/HVDHa5gF99
— Megha Kaveri (She/Her) (@meghakaveri) October 15, 2022

https://twitter.com/NishantBendre/status/1580843046794469376

Conclusion

How the university campuses should be, has been the biggest debate in the recent past. When I started studying in college, the infamous JNU slogan fiasco happened. That somehow leads to the entire discussion. Not just in the recent past, colleges have played a very crucial role in the mobilization of state or national-level movements.

I personally think college campuses are safe spaces for personal exploration, even if they are radical. In the case of NIT Trichy, it is just the basic right for female students on campus.

Quality higher education in India is synonymous with institutes like IITs, IIMs, and NITs, and when the subject students to unequal treatment, then it should be questioned.