Maitreyi College admin, students at odds over reel restriction

A campus notice at Maitreyi College restricting video recording has sparked a clash of opinions between students and the administration. Dated May 20/21, 2026, the notice – which is doing the rounds online – states that the college has prohibited the recording of videos “within the college campus, classrooms, corridors, offices, laboratories, library or any other institutional space without prior approval from the competent authority.” The notice added that “the college premises are meant primarily for academic and institutional activities and any act that disrupts the decorum, discipline or dignity of the institution will not be tolerated.” The move has sparked backlash from students.This idea is student-centric, it is for their benefit: PrincipalProf Haritma Chopra, Principal of the college, tells us, “This notice is being misinterpreted by students. The college has not put a ban on making videos. Students can get permission from the social media committee and upload them online. The committee was formed in 2023 to prevent unnecessary content from the college being shared online. The current move is for the students’ benefit, since students these days are running after views and likes on reels instead of focusing on the content or caring about their future. When they go into the corporate world, their social media profiles can easily be accessed, and it can be difficult for them if that happens. Final-year students need to get serious and think about their future. This idea is student-centric, and we believe that it will be implemented by other colleges as well.”Videos don’t cause any disruption: StudentsThe Students’ Union is currently in discussion with the administration and has not issued a statement yet. Meanwhile, we spoke to students about their take on the decision. “While maintaining decorum is important, a complete restriction on making reels feels excessive. From what I have seen on campus, students who create content usually do so in open spaces, and it doesn’t disrupt academics or harm anyone. This kind of creative expression doesn’t really compromise the sanctity of the college. The focus should be on preventing disruption, rather than restricting expression altogether,” Ashna*, a third-year student shares. “Delhi University colleges are especially known for their campus life, and a lot of students genuinely enjoy making content around it. For many of them, content creation is a way of networking and even career building nowadays. I think it would just create a restrictive environment in our college,” Arushi*, a second-year student notes.‘Videos help promote fests’Simran*, a member of a cultural society in the college, points out how social media, especially reels, has helped them gain traction for events. “As someone who is part of a cultural society and has seen how much social media contributes to promoting colleges and campus events, I think video media is a huge part of student culture today. It’s very impactful because whenever students feel there’s something they need to raise their voice for, they easily reach many people through these videos,” she says.Another student shares that her classmates recently made a reel with their professors during the final days of classes in their last semester. “Personally, I do not make videos. But we made a bunch of videos and reels during the phase of our last classes, in which our professors wholeheartedly participated. So it feels highly contradictory, especially when the content does not disrupt the environment of the college in any way.”‘Content creation is a career path for many’Talking about making a career online, Shefali*, a content creator from the college, says, “It is obviously a great opportunity to work from home and generate employment through content creation, given the current state of the job market. It offers opportunities across so many fields that anyone with any kind of talent can showcase themselves on the platform. According to me, a reel ban should not take place, but there should be certain criteria or benchmarks in place, and vulgar content and such things should be restricted.”