Three months after extending the curfew timing from 8 pm to 10.30 pm for the women residing in its hostels, the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has now rolled back the relaxation and fixed the time limit at 9 pm.

The university also prohibits students from holding any "protest or signature campaign" against the hostel rules. The relaxation was announced following protests by female residents over "discriminatory" hostel rules in March.

The female residents, who had earlier termed the relaxation a "victory", were left surprised when the university administration uploaded its new prospectus on the official website Wednesday evening. "No resident would be allowed to be out of hostel premises after 9 pm," the new prospectus read.

The university has also added a new clause in an undertaking to be signed by all women residents, saying, "I will not indulge in any protest or Signature Campaign against Hostel Rules, Regulations or timing. I accept that freely and fully. If I fail to abide by these my accommodation in the hostel can be cancelled immediately."

The move has created an uproar among students. "This is in complete violation of our fundamental rights to dissent and protest. The university has shamelessly rolled back the promises they made at the end of last semester after a massive protest. The threat of expulsion from hostel is nothing but an attempt to silence resistance of women," said a third-year student, residing at one of the hostels.

Besides, the administration has also fixed a closing time for the internal hostel gates at 11.30 pm, which means that women students from one hostel cannot go to another hostel. However, no such restriction exists in any of Jamia's hostel.

Explaining the reason behind the decision, university provost Azra Khursheed said that they were receiving many complaints of girls indulging in "indiscipline" within a month of implementing the relaxation. "We gave them two months and observed how the extended curfew time would work. There were many problems and now we have revised the brochures on Vice-Chancellor's command," the provost told DNA.

Despite several attempts, Vice-Chancellor's office did not respond for a comment.

Earlier on March 19, hundreds of female residents, along with the members of a women's collective 'Pinjra Tod', protested at the university's main gate after a hosteler was allegedly not allowed to collect food she had ordered because of the curfew timing. The students ended their sit-in after the proctor agreed to their demands, including extension of curfew hours.

Meanwhile, female residents are planning to hold a meeting with the authorities regarding the issue. "We will hold another protest if our demands are not met after meeting the authorities," a second-year student said.

STARTED IN MARCH

The protest got steam on March 19, when a girl was not allowed to collect food she had ordered due to the curfew timing.