TNNLU Students Protest Over Vice Chancellor's Remark Saying Women Students Wearing Shorts Invites Sexual Harassment
Upasana Sajeev
17 April 2026 11:54 AM IST
The students of Tamil Nadu National Law University have staged a protest against the remarks made by the Vice Chancellor, V Nagaraj, stating that women students wearing shorts invite sexual harassment and causes a distraction for faculty members.
In a statement issued by the student community on April 15 condemning the VC's remarks, the student body said that the VC had made the remarks during an official meeting of the Class Representatives.
The statement also states that the VC expressed that he was proud of similar remarks made by him during the NLSIU controversy. In 2016, while serving as a faculty member at the NLSIU, Nagaraj had made similar comments against a female student who had worn shorts to his class. The students stated that the VC had not offered any retraction or regret for the prior conduct.
The students stated that the repeated remarks by Nagaraj, is not an isolated lapse in judgment but a pattern of institutional conduct that normalises harassment and burdens the victims.
The students have demanded a public retraction and apology, an institutional inquiry and an affirmation that clothing does not contribute to harassment.
According to media sources, following the remarks, the students held protests in the campus, turning up in black clothes and shorts, expressing their dissent against the statements made by the VC. The VC has stated that his remarks were taken out of context and that he would respond to competent authorities.