Overview

• On July 30 the seminary posted a notice fully barring women from its Deoband campus, marking a return to an outright prohibition first imposed in May 2024.
• The notice also bans photography, videography, mobile phones, gutkha use and touching plants, and requires all visitors to leave before sunset.
• In November 2024 the seminary allowed women under strict conditions—wearing veils, guardian accompaniment, phone deposits and two-hour passes—but those requirements were repeatedly violated.
• Officials said visitors filming veil-less reels breached ‘bepardgi’ modesty norms and disrupted students’ academic focus with social media posts.
• The decision has disappointed women nationwide who visit to view Darul Uloom’s renowned mosque, circular library and scholarly heritage.