The Ishan Institute of Management and Technology in Greater Noida asked its girl students to prepare food for the boys to mark Valentine's Day, reports Times of India.
The chairman D K Garg told the media, this was to promote ``a culture of knowledge where brothers and sisters could stay together''. Students said the institute, which believes in strict discipline, had warned them not to get ``carried away'' on Valentine's Day.
More than 400 students of the institute, located at Knowledge Park in Greater Noida, participated in V-Day ``celebrations'' which began around 9am and continued till 4pm. ``The girls prepared a variety of dishes for the boys.
The choice of the dish entirely lay with the girls. To make the day interesting, the college authorities even asked the students to participate in the Most Talented Boy and the Most Talented Girl,'' said a second-year student who did not wish to be named.
A girl student said she hardly had a choice but to cook for the boys. ``The activity was not compulsory. But at the same time, we could have been marked for not participating. I have taken the activity sportingly,'' she said.
Garg disagreed. ``It was not compulsory. Yet 180 girl students participated willingly. We wanted to celebrate the day as one big family. No other motive must be read into it,'' said Garg.
Many students found the institute's ``celebrations'' dictatorial. ``In this day and age, it is archaic to tell students how they are to conduct themselves. The students are old enough to decide for themselves,'' said Shashi Mathur, who studies in a nearby institute.
The institute's students said the boys were also asked to seek out treasures as part of the celebrations. ``Some items were kept at secret locations in Greater Noida and the boys were provided clues on the basis of which they were asked to search for the treasures. The one who found the items first was declared the winner.
The girls too played the game, but since they were busy cooking things were made simpler for them by hiding their ``treasure'' inside the college compound,'' said a senior student.
