Fact test: No boyfriend, no access? This college circular is too cinematic to be true

With just a few more days before the start of Valentine’s Week, two bizarre circulars apparently published by the SRM Institute of Science and Technology in Kattankulathur near Chennai and St. John’s College in Agra issued, worked on social media.

Both circulars speak of a new rule according to which it is now compulsory for all female students to have a boyfriend. This step, as the viral circulars claim, is taken for “security reasons”. The circulars also say that single girls are not allowed to enter the campus, and to enter the university staff, girls must show a recent picture with their boyfriend.

While the circular issued in the name of SRM contains the alleged signature and stamp of the registrar, the one issued in the name of St. John’s was issued, apparently signed by one professor Ashish Sharma, the dean of academic affairs.

A Facebook user shared the alleged SRM circular with the caption: “Send it to the Minister of Education n Seal College Immediately”.

The archived version of this post can be seen here.

Another Facebook user the circular apparently issued by St. John’s issued, prejudiced with the heading “Notice.”

The archived version of this post can be seen here.

India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that the circulars are being changed. Both SRM and St. John’s called these notices false.

Although some users have doubts about the authenticity of these notices, many believe that they are true and comment such as: “How can educational institutions issue such notices?” Both circulars is viral Facebook.

There are several indications that the circulars may not be genuine. Both letters have almost the same content, which is unlikely. We have the official websites and social media pages of both SRM and St.

Clarification by SRM

We found that SRM a explanation but did not find such a notice making it mandatory for female students to have a boyfriend on his website who calls the viral circular fake. According to the notice, the institute also lodged a complaint with the police to determine the source of the message. The full notice issued by the institution can be seen below.

We spoke to Dr S Ponnusamy, the registrar of the SRM Institute of Science and Technology. ‘During the pandemic, we sent a number of circulars under our official letterhead. Maybe someone misused one of those letterheads to create this fake circular. It’s quite a pity and we
has lodged a complaint with the police, ‘he said.

No Prof Ashish Sharma at St. John’s not

Agra’s St. John’s College also called the letter false and advised students to ignore it. The college released an explanation on its official Facebook page. The statement has a notice signed by the principal, Professor SP Singh. The full Facebook post can be seen below.

Prof. Singh told local correspondent Arvind Sharma of India Today that the viral letter was fake and had the signature of a fictional person named Professor Ashish Sharma. There is no faculty named Ashish Sharma in the St. John’s College, Agra no. Professor Singh’s full version can be heard in this video.

It is therefore clear that the circulars issued under the names SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai and St. John’s College, Agra, which obliges female students to have a boyfriend is changed.