THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The controversy over seating arrangement of boys and girl students in Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, has been laid to rest with the college authorities informing the students representatives that the college shall impose no restrictions on the seating pattern. The development follows a meeting between the teachers and students held on Monday on the initiative of health minister K.K. Shylaja.
A section of faculty had recently objected to girls and boy students of the first year MBBS class sitting together in class. The students reportedly started sitting together after taking part in a seminar on gender sensitisation. The students' decision had annoyed a section of faculty. At the meeting, principal Dr Thomas Mathew clarified that there was total freedom for students on the campus. Anyone can sit anywhere within and outside the campus, he said, adding that the college has an open mind on such issues. The student representatives, on their part, expressed satisfaction that the teachers accepted their stand.
Meanwhile, there was resentment among a section of students over the failure of the college in expressing regrets for the negative campaign against the FB post of a student. A section of teachers had got the FB post printed and circulated at the PTA meeting and the parents of the students who liked the posts were singled out. The students were reportedly made to give an undertaking that that they did not support the 'vulgarity' of the post.
