Tuesday, March 27, 2018

College forces 7-month-pregnant woman to dance

Rashmi Drolia TNN 27.03.2018  Times of India

Raipur: A private college offering B.Ed course in Chhattisgarh is under the scanner for making women students sign an undertaking, stating that they would not conceive during their two-year academic programme.

The bizarre order was highlighted by a student of the Sant Harkewal B.Ed College, Pratibha Minj, 24, who delivered a baby girl on February 3. Pratibha was three-months-pregnant at the time of her admission in August, 2017, and had to sign an affidavit that she would not opt for pregnancy during the course.

Pratibha, a resident of Ambikapur, has alleged that college authorities have threatened that she would not be allowed to appear for her examination, scheduled in April because she violated the rule. She also said her teachers humiliated her and made her “perform” a dance in front of her class in December when she was seven-months-pregnant for a practical exam, despite her repeated requests to exempt her from the performance. “I requested the teachers to excuse me from dancing, but they forced me threatening that they would deduct my marks. I danced and they laughed, while my classmates and I were left embarrassed,” said Pratibha, who is fighting for her right to write the exam.

Despite the humiliation, Pratibha said she continued her classes regularly before the delivery and took leaves only after she delivered. As per the college rules, students are supposed to have mandatory 80% attendance to appear for exams and Pratibha already has attendance of 94% in her records.

“I had asked my parents to submit a leave application in college but the principal Anjan Singh insisted on my presence in the class. On March 17 and 20, I visited the college and requested the principal to grant me leave till exams, but he insisted that I attend all classes, else he would not allow me to appear for my exams,” she said, adding that she has approached the National Students’ Union of India for help.

When TOI contacted Surguja collector Kiran Kaushal, she took immediate note of the issue and asked the nodal officer for higher education S K Tripathi to issue a show-cause notice to the college for its apathy.

Tripathi said, “I have called up the principal and asked him to immediately revoke the rule of getting affidavits from girl students regarding pregnancy. Though the principal told me that he was unaware about the woman being forced to dance in the college, he promised to get back with details.”

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