Male students paraded in underwear during Goa University event
What's the story
The Goa State Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the Vice-Chancellor of Goa University, Harilal B Menon, after an incident where male students were allegedly paraded in their underwear during a cultural festival. The commission took cognizance of the matter on its own and asked Menon to respond by July 23. The incident reportedly took place during an inter-departmental festival called "Frolic" in February.
Festival details
Jury asked participants to strip
A senior university official said the incident took place during a competition named "Third Degree," where participants were asked to strip to their underwear by the jury. Condemning the incident, National Students Union of India (NSUI) leader Naushad Chaudhury said female students were also present at the festival. "Students were not allowed to leave. It was an embarrassing situation for both male and female students present there," he said.
Aftermath actions
Goa University announced a 'discretionary holiday'
Meanwhile, Goa University announced a "discretionary holiday" on Friday for all teaching and non-teaching staff and students. This report surfaced after the principal and a staff member of a private school in Thane, Maharashtra, were arrested for allegedly stripping girl students to check if they were menstruating after bloodstains were found in the toilet. According to a complaint, students who said they were not menstruating were taken into the toilet by a woman attendant to check their private parts.