Kangana Ranaut, an Indian actor-turned-politician, has called for the "Indianisation" of nurses' uniforms to better reflect the country's cultural identity [1, 2].
The proposal sparks a wider debate over whether healthcare attire should prioritize colonial-era standards or cultural comfort. Ranaut said that the current design of nursing uniforms remains too British [2].
Ranaut said that nursing is the most sexualised profession [1]. She suggested that redesigning the attire would move the profession away from these perceptions and toward a more culturally appropriate standard [1, 2].
According to Ranaut, the shift toward Indianised uniforms would ensure that the clothing is more comfortable for the nurses who wear them [2]. She said that the current designs are remnants of British influence that no longer serve the needs of the Indian healthcare workforce [2].
The call for a change in attire emphasizes a desire to remove colonial elements from public service roles. Ranaut said that the visual identity of healthcare workers should align with national values rather than foreign legacies [2].
“Kangana Ranaut has called for the "Indianisation" of nurses' uniforms.”
This push for cultural redesign in healthcare attire reflects a broader political trend in India toward 'decolonization.' By linking the design of uniforms to the sexualisation of the profession, Ranaut is framing a matter of professional dress as both a cultural and a social issue, potentially signaling a move toward more traditionalist standards in public sector uniforms.
