‘Online content shot on campus will lose vibe’

Lucknow: Debate over uniforms for college and university students echoed across classrooms, corridors and canteens on city campuses, as students responded to directives by UP higher education minister Yogendra Upadhyay.“College is not like school, as here, we express ourselves through clothes and our personal style, show who we are and how we feel and if everyone wears uniform, it will take away that individuality and make campus life feel restricted and less vibrant,” said Paakhi Sharma, BA student of Lucknow University.LU BSc student Rashee Sisodiya said fixed dress code would take away the informal and open feel of college life, where students usually experiment with their style.

She added that making everyone wear the same outfit will make campus environment feel more controlled than creative.Others say the change will directly impact social media culture. Mahima Thakur, BTech student at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, said, “We plan our outfits based on the kind of reels or photos we shoot on campus, sometimes even coordinating with friends to make the content look better. If everyone is in uniform, that element of creativity will be gone.

Routine will feel repetitive and campus content will lose what makes it interesting.

”Some students see the practical side. “Not everyone can afford expensive clothes and students feel pressure to keep buying new outfits just to fit into the peer group. A uniform can reduce that pressure and level things for everyone,” said a law student on Lucknow University second campus.A student of IT College, Neha Singh, said students are mainly worried as there is no clarity on how much each set will cost or how many will be required.

"Buying multiple sets will increase the financial burden on students and their families,” she said.“We already have a uniform in our college, so students from other colleges and universities who used to tease us about it, will now be in uniform too,” said Priyanshu Srivastava, a student of National PG College, with a smug smile and note of satisfaction.