Buckling under widespread protests, especially by students, the Vasundhara Raje dispensation in Rajasthan today revoked its recent controversial order on implementing a dress code for government-run colleges in the state.

The chief minister said the Directorate of College Education had issued the order to introduce uniforms in government colleges based on suggestions by student representatives.

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It has been brought to my attention that many students are not happy with this decision. I have therefore asked that uniforms be made voluntary rather than compulsory, Raje tweeted.

We are here to provide our girls with whatever they require to excel in their education, she said.

On March 4, the BJP government in Rajasthan had announced a dress code in state-run colleges from the academic year 2018-19, drawing protests from students and opposition Congress which dubbed it as an attempt to saffronise institutions.

The Commissionerate of College Education had then shot off a letter to principals of government colleges asking them to decide the colour of the dress for boys and girls and submit it by March 12.

Dress code for boys included shirt, trousers, sweater (winters), shoes, socks and belt. For girls, it was salwar suit, dupatta, sweater or cardigan (winters), saree, shoes or sandals and socks.

The dress code has to be implemented in government colleges from academic session 2018-19. Principals are directed to decide dress colour with senior faculty members, student union representatives and to submit it by March 12, the letter stated.

The Congress said it would oppose the decision and alleged the government was pursuing RSS agenda.

“The government is working on the agenda of the RSS. They have changed school curriculum, distributed saffron cycles and are now bent on saffronising colleges. We will protest any such attempt,” Congress chief whip in the state Assembly Govind Singh Dotasara had said.

The government had, however, maintained that the decision was being taken on the students’ demand.

“Dress code was a demand of the students who had complained that outsiders enter college premises. There should be clarity on the identity of students. We have left it on the colleges to decide on the dress colour. We have not imposed any particular colour,” state Higher Education minister Kiran Maheshwari had said.