The Madhya Pradesh government has banned “fashion shows, cat and ramp walks” in the colleges and universities  of the state.
While the critics of the fiat say that the cultural vigilante of the saffron brotherhood was behind the move, the government says that the ban was meant to curb the “growing influence of retrograde, vulgar Western culture” on the students.
For the last several years, fashion shows and cat walks had become in integral part of the annual function of most all-girls and co-ed colleges where girls were crowned Misses so and so college.
Cosmetic and textile manufacturers often sponsored the prizes.
An  official of the Directorate of Higher Education said that instead of creativity, the shows were encouraging “vulgarity” and that the dresses were becoming “shorter and shorter”.
Students are, however, not very enthused by the move.
“Let our parents decide what we should wear in public,” says Ms Shruti of Government Motilal Science College.
According to another student, the fashion and beauty industry was a major career avenue for girls and the fashion shows in the colleges helped the students to hone their skills in this field.