Curfew: Controversy and Chaos

-Akshitha, Ashfaq and Areeba

Curfew - a word so alien to IIT Patna that it brought many harrowing memories from the COVID times. Quite recently, curfews got the students buzzing again after the introduction of curfews for incoming freshers. After a long fight to get rid of hostel curfews five years ago, reintroducing curfews in IIT Patna shocked the entire student community. The complete lack of consent and transparency in such decision-making equally angers the students and Students’ Gymkhana. This has raised important questions about our rights as students of IITP and our say in what happens at our institute.

THE CURFEW CONTROVERSY:

The initial enforcement of an 8 PM curfew at CV Raman and Aryabhatt Hostel, IIT Patna, sparked significant concerns among residents. They were directed not to leave the premises after 8:30 PM, leading many students to express their discontent to the warden. Some wrote mails that 8:30 PM was unreasonably early for college students. While many other freshmen considered this curfew to be a standard practice in the college every year. There was no formal explanation for why the curfew was imposed in the first 2-3 weeks, and in the state of chaos and inexperience, the students bitterly accepted the status quo. 

Fortunately, after extensive discussions of Gymkhana and the Administration - it was decided that the curfew was extended to 10 PM after Nebula, the freshers’ day program. Students received an email indicating that it would remain in effect until further notice. Nevertheless, the Gymkhana Vice President has been informed by higher authorities that the curfew should be set at 11 PM. VP Gymkhana states that this curfew imposition shall be gradually phased out by the end of September. 

Students response :

To get the real perspective of what’s happening inside the hostels, we spoke with many of the newcomers in CVR and Aryabhatta hostels. The residents at CVR expressed doubts about the curfew's purpose itself. "I don't think this curfew was because of anti-ragging. If ragging has to be done, it can be done in the daytime.”In fact, nighttime is when, especially for B.Tech students, it is time for relaxment. 

"I don't think this curfew was because of anti-ragging. If ragging has to be done, it can be done in the daytime.”

Some students find the bias in treatment towards the B.Tech first years and M.Tech, M.Sc first years quite unfair. A student told us: “This situation leads us to a conclusion that we must accept because it applies to everyone. It also affects us, and there was a time when a guard mentioned that it applies to all students residing in the hostel (However this is not true, all MSc, MTech and PhD students are allowed to enter and leave at any hour given they write their details on the ledger). So, we thought, "If it's for everyone, who are we to object?" We accepted it. 

However, this is a form of discrimination, we are the only batch on campus to have a curfew. First-year and second-year students don't have a significant age difference, right? Additionally, many students in our batch are droppers, so the age difference is minimal. Why is there this discrimination regarding curfew times?”                                                 

The students also mentioned that night-time was usually the only time for them to relax, and complained that the curfew is making them miss out on campus life. “Generally, we go to the gym at 8:30, and before, when the time was 8:30, we missed two or three days of the gym for that. Also, the gym is something that got really affected. In fact, even for sports, the cricket ground in the Sports Complex has a separate Nets area which we can use anytime we want. Because of the curfew time, we can’t even use that anymore."

Gender Disparities :

The situation took an unexpected turn during our interviews with female students residing in Aryabhatta Hostel. They disclosed that they had received informal instructions from the caretaker not to leave the hostel after 9 PM. This seemed unfair and raised questions about why decisions were being communicated informally and not through official communication channels. “We all should be treated equally, and decisions that affect us should be made transparently and with our involvement," said one of the female residents of Aryabhatta Hostel . They expressed that they aren't even aware of who to approach with grievances.

“We all should be treated equally, and decisions that affect us should be made transparently and with our involvement,"

Ragging Incidents and Misunderstandings :

Claiming that previous years had ragging incidents to justify the curfew doesn't add up.  Higher officials claimed that this has been done to prevent ragging incidents. However, the Vice President says that one particular incident was initially misunderstood as ragging, but it was later revealed that the freshmen withdrew the complaint. When there's such a big gap between what the college says and what our student representatives say, it's hard not to question how decisions are made.

Safety is super important, of course. But any safety measures should be based on facts and be fair to everyone. This curfew restricts freshers’ freedom without clear evidence of safety risks, and that's got us wondering if the institute is looking out for our rights and freedom.

Why the decision for Curfew?

From our conversation with VP Gymkhana, we were informed that the decision to impose a curfew on freshers was made jointly by the Director, Chairman HAC, and A.Dean Student Affairs of IIT Patna. Their rationale was rooted in caution, citing past year incidents that extended late into the night. However, this decision was not communicated to Gymkhana beforehand, leading to a disconnect between the student body and the administration.

Nevertheless, after the announcement of the curfew, the Vice President of Gymkhana sought to bridge this gap. He promptly contacted the A.Dean SA, seeking clarification and advocating for a more inclusive decision-making process. The initial curfew, set at 8:30 PM, was then agreed to be extended in phases. An official mail was sent after Nebula 23 that extended the curfew to 11:00 PM. It was also communicated that the curfew might be relaxed and eventually removed without any tentative date. 

There is reason in the ADean SA’s argument, who also explains that his approach is one of precaution, both for the freshers and the seniors, from any ragging complaints. However, some may view it as an overbearing response to minor incidents. As discussions continue within the Senate, curfew policies at IIT Patna remain uncertain.

VP Gymkhana also highlighted the need for flexibility in the curfew policy. During emergencies, such as health issues, the administration initially stated that a caretaker would accompany students.

Bypassing and constraining the powers of Gymkhana:

One critical concern Gymkhana raised was the lack of consultation in decision-making. The VP emphasised that the student body council should be informed and included in discussions before finalising such decisions. This lack of involvement, he suggested, could be attributed to the new tenure of higher officials, who may not fully grasp the significance of Gymkhana and its role on campus.

Furthermore, Gymkhana pointed out that the administration's approach lacked transparency. Decision-making discussions were verbal, with no formal records or minutes of meetings. This departure from the previous year's administration raised questions about whether the new officials knew Gymkhana's importance or if external pressures influenced their decisions.

A piece in the bigger jigsaw of authoritative control and curbing rights

"IIT Patna certainly has a responsibility to ensure our safety, but it also has to uphold our rights and freedom. Creating rules like these without engaging in a dialogue with students raises concerns. The institute should strive for greater openness and inclusivity when making such decisions”, claims another PhD student in Aryabhatta Hostel, who finds it menacing to log their entry and exit after 10 PM.

Some also have raised concerns that this is now becoming a pattern of several such measures in the past, slowly curtailing more and more freedoms of students without their consent. Last year, the administration gave quite an absurd reason that CCTV cameras were installed in corridors of Asima Hostel to ensure no ragging activities occur. Contrary to their claims, the CCTVs must have been ordered months in advance when the JoSAA results weren’t even out. Moreover, considering that this corridor is no longer occupied by first-year students, questions arise on what purpose they serve and how they justify the breach of privacy now. 

Closing Thoughts :

It's imperative that IIT Patna take a second look on imposing curfews, considering Gymkhana's concerns as well as the students’. Even if done arbitrarily with good intentions, this sets a bad precedent and widens the gap in communication and trust between the students and authorities. By maintaining transparency and having the students voices heard in such decisions, can help us find better solutions that keeps us safe and at the same time, respecting student’s rights and freedom. In doing so, IIT Patna can set an example for other institutions grappling with the same challenges. 

Author’s note: 

There is a discrepancy between the curfew timings for the girls' and boys' hostel. Initially, it was said to be 9 pm for girls, whereas 11 pm for boys. But after Forthright’s intervention,  Warden Aryabhatta(girls) mailed all the girls about the correct timing.