Problem
Irrational and unjustifiable curefew rules at the ASE campus ettimadai has once again become a topic for discussion with the recent disciplinary action imposed on students for jumping boundary walls.

Background

Amrita School of Engg, Coimbatore, has a regressive regulation regarding movement of students in and out of the campus. Students once joined the campus, can only go out of the main gate with a gate pass from warden. This gate pass is issued once or twice a month only (even to go home).

To make things worse, for girls, the gate pass (even to go home) is issued only upon receiving a fax from parents, giving their consent to send the student outside the campus. 

In effect, students cannot go outside the campus even during holidays or post classes without a gatepass. Since college doesn't allow non-veg food, the craving forces students to jump 3mt high walls and walk through nearby forest to have non-veg food from dhaba near by. Suspension from studies is the usual punishment for violation. Recently many students were caught jumping walls and were suspended for a semester for it with fine upto 10k INR.

The issue

The root cause of the problem is not that students are deviants and rule breakers by nature. The real issue is that, young students in the peak of their active age are being prisoned inside 4 walls of a campus where they are treated no better than a convict.

During our study there, we have seen even studious and normally rule abiding students also risking their lives jumping huge boundary walls and walking across the forest in the night, just to have a bite of their favourite food which they are denied otherwise inside the campus.

Under stricter surveillance, unable to even jump walls, girls have to live 4 years in captivity. They aren't even allowed to crave for the food they like. To put this into perspective, this is happening at Amrita, when girls across the country are protesting to get rid of discriminatory curfews in their hostels.

At Amrita, we are atleast a century behind the rest of the country.

Constitutionality:
Indian constitution guarantees the right to every individual the right to freedom of movement under article 19 of the constitution. Noone is allowed to put any adult under illegal detention unless it is provisioned by legislation.

As alumni, it is disheartening when we see our Alma Mater in news for all the wrong reasons because of such ill conceived restrictions and rules.

It is high time authorities open their eyes. These are not kindergarten children. They have mind and thoughts of their own. We shouldn't restrict them.

What is the presumed gain of implementing such restriction? Students who want to study will study. Students who don't want to, will not, regardless of there being restriction or not.

Solution
We understand that to maintain discipline, colleges have to impose some restrictions. But it has to be rational and judicious.

1. Free movement of students (of all genders) should be allowed till atleast 10PM in and out of campus.
2. Studentsshould be allowed to visit their homes during all holidays regardless of the number of gate passes they have availed in the past.
3. The requirement for fax, for women should be annulled.

Personal story
We are alumni of the institution and we can relate to the plight of students there.
The current restrictions are uncalled for and our personal experience tells that it doesnt serve any purpose. If anything, it only breeds more rule breakers.