‘Do you allow yours daughters to leave hostel at any time during the day/night’, Panjab University asks parents | Chandigarh News
Chandigarh: A declaration form issued by Panjab University for girls’ hostel residents has reignited questions over student autonomy, with many alleging it marks a quiet erosion of the 24×7 access rights won after a landmark protest in 2018. The form requires parents to state whether they allow their daughters to leave the hostel “at any time during the day/night” and authorises the university to inform them if the student stays out overnight or frequently returns after midnight.Students say the move effectively brings back curbs through parental surveillance and dilutes the spirit of the 48-day agitation of 2018, which had pushed for equal mobility rights for women on campus. What has further angered students is that the form also includes the day- raising concerns that even regular daytime outings could now be subjected to scrutiny.Introduced last year, the form was rolled out after the death of a MSc student during an outing. Her parents, who were aware of her health conditions, had later told university officials they had no idea she regularly left the hostel at night and were unaware that the hostel permitted 24×7 access. The administration said it began receiving similar concerns from multiple parents after the incident.PU Dean Students Welfare Professor Amit Chauhan said the form was a middle path to reassure families without compromising student freedoms. “Most parents are not opposed to 24×7 entry, but they expect some communication if their child is out the whole night or repeatedly out beyond midnight. This isn’t about policing, it’s about transparency and building a mutual understanding between the university, students, and their families,” he said.However, student groups have strongly opposed the move. “The right is for students, not their parents. Instead of blindly imposing such forms, the university should clearly tell parents that 24×7 access is a reality and that this right exists irrespective of their approval,” said Sarah from PSU Lalkar.While the university maintains that the declaration is precautionary, many students believe it quietly reinstates institutional control under the cover of consent, chipping away at a freedom they fought hard to secure.“Such affidavits concerning ‘wards’ effectively undermine the autonomy of women students who are 18 years or older, legally recognised as adults capable of voting, and shift accountability away from the authorities responsible for ensuring campus safety,” said Kanupriya, who led the 2018 movement as PUCSC president.
