Directorate of Medical Education and Research to deploy junior professors in medical colleges to enforce monitoring system

'Informers' to keep check on ragging

Directorate of Medical Education and Research to deploy junior professors in medical colleges to enforce monitoring system

Advice for medical students. The next time you spill the beans about your girlfriends, roommates and even hate-listed professors to your favourite teacher, beware. He might be a 'khabri' for the college authorities.

Worried after yet another shocking incident of ragging came to light at Mumbai's KEM hospital where first year students were made to strip and perform mock sexual acts, officials of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) have decided to strictly enforce a monitoring system in medical colleges u2014 the khabri system.

Dr Pravin Shengare, deputy director of DMER, said that the term refers to a group of junior teachers who are
assigned the task of befriending and learning about students activities on campus.

Monitoring system
"We have started a system where one professor will be assigned to every 10 students. This professor will meet them on a daily basis; drop in practicals, in lecture rooms, corridors etc. They will develop a rapport with the students, learn about their day-to-day activities as a friend and in this manner ascertain if something wrong has been going on in campus," he said.

The feedback from these 'khabri' professors will also go into the final report on ragging that every medical college is supposed to present each year.

"The process would be continuous with emphasis on the first three months. All medical colleges where hostels are attached will be following this protocol," said Shengare.

The professors have also been assigned the task of counselling the freshers.

"There are directives from the Supreme Court on formulating plans against ragging in the campus. So we have to come up with innovative ways of tackling the issue. But apart from that, youngsters also need counselling and help to become a part of the institution and that's what these young teachers will help them do," said Shengare.