📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Suyash.dwivedi
Education
Gujarat Universities Celebrate Raksha Bandhan with Gender‑Neutral Rituals
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 29 Aug 2026, 04:37 AM
👁 4
Students across Gujarat’s higher‑education institutions marked Raksha Bandhan by discarding traditional gender roles and emphasizing equality.
Across several campuses in Gujarat, students gathered on Raksha Bandhan to perform the traditional rakhi ceremony without adhering to conventional gender assignments. Sisters tied rakhis on brothers, while many male students also tied rakhis on female peers, symbolising mutual protection and respect.
The inclusive observance was presented as a statement against entrenched stereotypes, with student groups highlighting that the festival’s core message of care transcends gender. Organisers said the event aimed to showcase that the spirit of Raksha Bandhan can promote equality in academic environments.
Faculty members and university administrators welcomed the initiative, noting that such celebrations reinforce a progressive campus culture. The approach aligns with broader efforts in Indian higher‑education to foster gender‑sensitive practices and social cohesion.
The inclusive observance was presented as a statement against entrenched stereotypes, with student groups highlighting that the festival’s core message of care transcends gender. Organisers said the event aimed to showcase that the spirit of Raksha Bandhan can promote equality in academic environments.
Faculty members and university administrators welcomed the initiative, noting that such celebrations reinforce a progressive campus culture. The approach aligns with broader efforts in Indian higher‑education to foster gender‑sensitive practices and social cohesion.