Calicut University’s demand for dowry proforma draws flak
The Hindu
The Calicut University has asked the students to sign the undertaking stating that they will not demand or accept dowry, directly or indirectly
The Calicut University (CU) has come under fire for seeking an undertaking from its students that their admissions and degrees shall be cancelled or withdrawn if they breach the provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
The CU, following a proposal from Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, has asked the students to sign the undertaking stating that they will not demand or accept dowry, directly or indirectly.
B.G. Harindranath, former Kerala Law Secretary, felt that the order was illegal and legally unsustainable if challenged before a court of law. The Constitutional authorities should be mindful of the fact that their orders should remain in consonance with the laws passed by the legislatures. Though accepting or demanding dowry is punishable under the Act, the cancellation of a degree certificate is not contemplated under the Act, he said.