AGARTALA: A circular issued by the headmaster of a higher secondary school in North Tripura's Kanchanpur , advising female teachers to wear 'good looking' dresses, has drawn mixed reactions across the state. The headmaster, BB Chakma , said this step has been taken after guardians objected to an 'unwritten dress competition' being seen among a section of female teachers."I am not in favour of putting restrictions on someone's dress but I feel dress code for every individual is essential and for teachers it is most important for development of the personality of the students. The advisory says both male and females are to wear good looking, polite and self-disciplined dresses," Chakma said.Sukumal Baruah, a local businessman, alleged that young men have been seen loitering near school premises, something he believes is because of what female teachers wear. If there is a dress code for students, it is warranted that there be a dress code for teachers as well, argued Rathindra Debnath, a guardian.Conversely, Pratima Saha, who works with NGOs on women's issues in North Tripura, said there is no accepted definition of terms like 'good looking'. "An official order from an authority in this regard in the 21st century cannot be accepted," she said.Leading feminist and coordinator of the Women Study Centre of Tripura University, Prof Chandrika Basu Manjumdar , said, "I personally feel dress code is important for educational institutions and public offices for better output. Sporadic circulars by a particular authority may lead to controversy."

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