Thousands of undergraduate women students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) may finally be able to access the university library — after a struggle spanning several decades.
While students enrolled in professional courses are allowed to use the resources of the Maulana Azad Library (MAL), which is one of the best libraries in the country, those in non-professional courses can’t go past the MAL gates.
Union HRD Minister Kabil Sibal on Wednesday assured a delegation of students and faculty members of AMU that the discriminatory practice would end soon.
“I have assured the delegation that we will direct the AMU vice-chancellor to allow access (to the library to Women’s College students),” Sibal told The Indian Express.
The struggle to use the MAL is decades-old. In fact, each year the demand was made the administration rejected it.
“Both students and teachers have been seeking permission to use MAL and relax the rules for Abdullah Hall (where Women’s College as well as the hostel for students are located),” said a faculty member.
What complicates the matter is the fact that Women’s College students are allowed to step out of the Abdullah Hall premises only once a week.