NEW DELHI, Aug 17: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Thursday reprimanded the Jadavpur University for submitting a “generic” report on the alleged ragging and sexual harassment of a first-year student that led to his death.
Noting that the university has taken no proactive measures to curb ragging on campus, the commission has told the university that it is not satisfied with the report. The UGC had sought a factual and action-taken report from the varsity after the 17-year-old student died after falling from a second-floor balcony of a hostel last week. His family alleged he was a victim of ragging.
“The report submitted was examined and it was found to be very generic in nature basically mentioning mostly the reactive approaches adopted in the matter than proactive measures taken to curb the menace of ragging. The commission is not satisfied with the report,” the UGC sources said. The UGC also sought a compliance report regarding its 12 queries and documentary evidence within 24 hours.
The West Bengal government has formed a four-member committee to probe into the administrative lapses connected with the death of the student. The committee has been asked to submit its report in two weeks, officials said.
Six more former and current students of Jadavpur University were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly ragging and sexually harassing the freshman of the varsity leading to his death. They were remanded in police custody by a Kolkata court till August 28. Nine persons have been apprehended in this case so far, a police officer said.
Kolkata Police has taken cognisance of JU students’ social media posts, including photographs, which suggest that there was an element of sexual harassment in the ragging of the student.
Some of the queries asked by the UGC pertain to the university process to deal with ragging, including whether an affidavit is signed by an applicant regarding clear knowledge of the anti-ragging provisions of the regulations and punishment and whether the joint counselling is conducted for freshers and seniors within the first two weeks of the beginning of the session.
It also asked if an applicant desires to stay in a hostel or private hostel, does the institution take an additional affidavit signed by the applicant and counter-signed by the parent or guardian and if freshers are lodged in a separate hostel block, is the access to the seniors to the block monitored.
“Do you conduct any surveys amongst the freshers every fortnight during the first three months of the academic session to verify incidents of ragging? Before the commencement of the academic session, did the head of the institute convene a meeting of the faculty members, warden, student representative, parents, district administration and police representatives to discuss measures to be taken to prevent ragging and steps to be taken to identify the guilty and punish them,” the UGC has asked.
The higher education regulator has also sought to know whether telephone numbers of the anti-ragging helpline and important functionaries of the Institute, responsible to curb ragging, are printed on the university admission brochure or instruction booklet in print or electronic form.
(Manas Dasgupta)
