Silchar | The uniform code at Cachar College has come into sharp focus following a clash between members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) that left several students injured.

College principal Dr Apratim Nag said on Wednesday that the administration would make every effort to implement the institution’s prescribed uniform code. He said the college’s official uniform notice clearly specifies the dress code for male and female students.

“Under the prescribed code, male students are required to wear trousers and shirts, while female students must wear salwar-kameez or churidar-kameez with a dupatta worn in the prescribed manner,” Nag said. The principal also said the college administration had not lodged any police complaint in connection with Tuesday’s clash.

According to sources, several students injured in the confrontation were taken to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for treatment. The clash broke out on Tuesday when ABVP and NSUI members were conducting separate membership drives on the college campus.

Sources said an argument began after some ABVP members objected to women at the NSUI camp wearing hijab. The verbal confrontation soon escalated into a scuffle, creating tension on the campus. Police intervened and separated the two groups before bringing the situation under control.

The two student organisations subsequently gave different accounts of the incident.

NSUI alleged that ABVP members assaulted its workers and used political influence during the confrontation. ABVP, on the other hand, accused NSUI members of provoking the clash and maintained that students should follow the college’s prescribed uniform code.

ABVP leaders condemned the violence and called for an impartial inquiry and appropriate action against those found responsible, sources said. The confrontation came amid a growing debate over dress regulations at the college.

On August 24, a section of students submitted a memorandum to the Cachar District Commissioner seeking restrictions on religious attire, including hijab and skullcaps, on the college campus.

The college administration’s renewed emphasis on its existing uniform code has now brought the issue to the centre of the campus debate, with competing positions emerging over the prescribed dress code and religious attire.

The administration is expected to focus on enforcing the existing uniform provisions while efforts continue to prevent further confrontation between student groups.