College regulations irks students in Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Sep 6 (PTI) A set of rules introduced bySt Aloysius Pre University College here has stirred acontroversy, sparking protest by students and on social mediaagainst "imposing moral values". The college had issued the directions to students at anorientation class last week and the rules and regulationswere uploaded on social media by a former student. However, Principal Rev Fr Melwyn Mendonca denied discriminatory rules being enforced in the college as mentioned in the post. The post, he said, was "far from true" and the collegeauthorities were contemplating filing a complaint to thecyber crime police. Some of the rules and regulations mentioned in the postincluded "no pubs and parties, no girl student could leavethe campus for lunch, girls should not visit boys of otherclasses during breaks, mehndi could be applied only on palmand with prior permission from class guide, no high or low bunand no interaction between a single girl and a group of boysor a single boy and a group of girls". The Principal said the college had been conducting valueeducation classes for students regularly and in a recent orientation class the students were asked to stick to the rules of the college pertaining to uniform, disciplineand decent behaviour. The parents had been asking the college authorities tokeep a strict vigil on students after elopement of a studentlast year, he claimed. "Even the parents are happy with rules. They have no objection to it. Admissions were increasing every year and it wouldn’t have been possible if they are against the institution," he said. He also claimed that the "restrictions" in his collegewere less stringent compared to other PU colleges in thedistrict and were aimed at focusing the attention of thestudents on studies and to inculcate moral values. St Aloysius College, run by Jesuits priests, is aco-education college functioning for the last 27 years. PTIMVG RA VSKISDK