‘Filming Reels Without Veil Distracts Students’: UP’s Darul Uloom Prohibits Women From Entering Campus
Darul Uloom Deoband has re-imposed a restriction on the entry of women onto its campus, citing repeated violations of its guidelines related to social media, according to an official statement from the seminary management on Wednesday.
In November last year, the institution had withdrawn an earlier ban and permitted women to enter under specific conditions. However, these guidelines were reportedly ignored by several visitors who recorded and uploaded videos online. Management sources indicated that the rising number of female visitors was impacting the concentration of students and resulted in several complaints.
Authorities noted that a number of women visitors had shot and shared reels from within the campus, often without wearing veils. This was viewed as inappropriate and as a distraction for students, thereby hampering their academic focus. As a result, a fresh notice has been displayed at the main gate, prohibiting photography, videography, and carrying mobile phones. The notice also bans the consumption of gutkha or tobacco, prevents touching of plants, and instructs all visitors to exit the premises before sunset.
Maulana Mufti Rehan Qasmi, who oversees the vice-chancellor’s office, stated that on 17 May last year, the institution initially banned women from entering after complaints emerged about reels being filmed on the campus. The ban was lifted in November with stringent rules — women were required to wear veils, be accompanied by a guardian, surrender their mobile phones, and obtain visitor passes valid for only two hours. However, multiple violations were observed, prompting the administration to reimpose the ban on Tuesday.
