Hyderabad, Sep 16 (IANS): Following massive protests, Hyderabad's St Francis College for Women on Monday withdrew the directive that made wearing knee-length kurtis mandatory for students.

The students had been protesting against the dress code, which, they alleged, was an attempt at moral policing, since August.

Many students objected to the decision to impose a dress code in the midst of a semester, while some said that they could not afford to refresh their wardrobe at the will of the college administration.

Far from bringing uniformity among students, the diktat for a dress code emanated from a patriarchal mindset, the protesters said.

The students trying put forward their points before the management claimed that they had to hear regressive comments such as parents sending them to the educational institution in order to "get good marriage proposals" in the future.

With the situation worsening on Friday after some students were allegedly hackled by security guards for wearing shorter kurtis than required by the dress code, protests intensified on Monday.

In a bid to strike a conversation with the management, the protesting students blocked the entrance gate.

The students were euphoric after the college administration decided to lift the dress code requiring the students to wear long kurtis.