Telangana government in a very controversial move stated that only unmarried women are eligible to study in social welfare residential women’s degree colleges. As the notification by Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS), reads “Applications are invited from women (unmarried) candidates…for admission into B.A/B.Com/B.Sc first year degree courses for the academic year 2017-18.”
This rule which has been in place for a year now, came into limelight only recently. Education in the Indian constitution is a concurrent issue and both center and states can legislate on the issue. At times the states make such bizarre moves like this to ensure that other girls in the residential degree colleges do not get distracted. A personnel said that the husbands will be visiting their wives on weekly or biweekly basis which creates distraction among students. However, this rule was set in place to break the chain of child marriages.
Telangana which has 23 residential degree colleges for women is also known for child marriages. Colleges better focus on imparting right education to students instead of focusing on curbing child marriages. The woman around the world are gearing up for celebrating International woman’s day on March 8th. The theme for IWD focuses on “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030” and here this notification ensures to take every step to deprive the woman of backward classes a fundamental right which is also an international right.
