From CCTV cameras and poster campaigns to flying squads and panels, colleges gear up to tackle ragging
From CCTV cameras and poster campaigns to flying squads and panels, colleges gear up to tackle ragging
With the new academic year beginning today, colleges in the city are gearing up to tackle the menace of ragging. From displaying anti-ragging posters to formation of flying squads, and even employing CCTV cameras, no stone is being left unturned.
"We have a senior college committee that has been assigned the task of monitoring ragging activity within the campus and hostels," said Ravindrasinh Pardeshi, principal of Fergusson College. "Besides putting up posters, we have enlisted the support of senior students to keep a check on untoward activities."
He added that the CCTV cameras installed on campus would also keep a tab on ragging within college premises.
Not bunking can help
Principal Dr Rajendra Zunjarrao of Modern College in Shivajinagar said that besides setting up an anti-ragging committee and putting up posters and CCTV cameras, professors had been told they should not miss taking classes.
"It is observed that generally this activity can take place if there are free periods and new students are moving around aimlessly on campus," said Zunjarrao. "So we have made attendance compulsory for both professors and freshers for the first few days as a precaution."
Eye on hostels
Wadia College Principal Bhagwan Tahkaur said that apart from standard precautions, special instructions had been given to hostel authorities. "We have asked those in charge of hostels to conduct midnight checks in hostel corridors, common rooms and wherever they suspect ragging might be on," said Tahkaur.
Besides colleges, NGOs and social organisations are also doing their bit to prevent ragging. NGO Savera, set up by five youngsters, some of them still in college, runs a 24-hour anti-ragging helpline. "Our mobile numbers are the helpline, and we have publicised these in colleges. Most of us are part of the anti-ragging committees of our colleges and help students approach the college authorities or the police in ragging cases. Also, we relate to students better and can help them deal with the trauma," said Shailender Singh, a Savera member and final year law student at Bhartiya Vidyapeeth College.
Rahul Mhaske, co-ordinator of National Students Union of India (NSUI), said about 40 per cent of city colleges were yet to form anti-ragging committees.
"Not all colleges have taken the government notification seriously. Most engineering colleges are yet to appoint an anti-ragging panel," he said.
Waiting for justice
In January, Prashant Chikalkar, DES Law College student, committed suicide by jumping into a well because of alleged ragging. While college authorities denied there had been ragging, the police had detained 10 students; four absconders in the case later got bail. The case is still pending, though a chargesheet has been filed. Bandopant, father of the deceased, blamed political influence for lax investigations.
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