Delhi University students were barred from wearing black clothes and some student leaders were “put under house arrest” when Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the university's centenary celebrations.
Mr Modi was the chief guest at Friday’s event organised by the university despite fears that some students may stage protests by wearing black on the campus and at affiliated colleges.
It is not the first time the ban has been imposed at similar events.
Here we look at why the ban was put in place.
Why is black clothing banned at Modi appearances?
Wearing black clothes or displaying black paraphernalia such as flags is considered a mark of protest throughout South Asia, with Mr Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party government often barring people wearing anything black from attending his events .
“No black dress is to be worn that day. Students' attendance is mandatory and they will be given five attendances for attending the live streaming and it will be submitted to the college,” read a notice by one of the university’s affiliates, Hindu College.
Many other affiliated colleges issued similar guidelines to their students and staff, according to media reports.
Is wearing black clothing against the law?
While there is no rule or protocol, authorities in BJP-ruled states have imposed a blanket ban on everything black – clothes, accessories, or carrying black items, such as balloons or flags – while attending Mr Modi’s rallies or public events.
Several people have been detained in the past for wearing anything black, including socks, while attending his rallies.
When were bans on black attire imposed?
In 2016, even party members were stopped from attending an election rally in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari for wearing black clothing, including women wearing shawls.
In 2018, a former legislator was arrested after releasing black balloons in protest at Mr Modi’s visit to Chennai. A Congress member was also arrested for setting a pigeon free with a black cloth tied to its legs.
The same year police in the western state of Rajasthan strip searched villagers before Mr Modi's rally to ensure they were not carrying black clothes. Shirts, handkerchiefs and scarves were confiscated from the villagers.
Opposition leaders in March wore black clothes to parliament to protest against the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the house. Some opposition members waved black flags, forcing the speaker to adjourn the house.
What was the reaction to the ban?
The Students’ Federation of India, a left-wing political organisation, called the guidelines “dictatorial directives”.
“If making the presence of all students mandatory for the live screening of the event was not exasperating enough, the admin has also asked students to not wear any black dress,” the SFI said in a statement.
Some student leaders from the All India Students' Association, also a left-wing organisation, were allegedly detained in their homes by Delhi Police in “the circle of suspicion” ahead of Mr Modi’s visit.
The student body had said that the prime minister was not welcome on the campus because colleges were forcing students to attend the function and banning black clothing.
Why is black a colour of protest in India?
While the origin of the use of black flags in India is uncertain, they have been used as a mark of protest since pre-independence days.
Freedom fighter Lala Lajpat died of his injuries after he was gravely hurt in police action for greeting a group of British parliamentarians with black flags in 1928.
In the US, anarchists in the 1880s used black flags as a symbol of “hunger, misery and death” under oppressive rule.
Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Norway
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Company%20Profile
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What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
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Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Naga
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Selected fixtures
All times UAE
Wednesday
Poland v Portugal 10.45pm
Russia v Sweden 10.45pm
Friday
Belgium v Switzerland 10.45pm
Croatia v England 10.45pm
Saturday
Netherlands v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Denmark 10.45pm
Sunday
Poland v Italy 10.45pm
Monday
Spain v England 10.45pm
Tuesday
France v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Wales 10.45pm
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
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Engine: Duel electric motors
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The%C2%A0specs%20
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
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Investment raised: $4 million
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