Second ‘ragging’ loss of life in three months however Odisha stays silent on menace
3 min read
Express News Service
BHUBANESWAR: In little over three months, Odisha has seen the second loss of life of a school scholar alleged resulting from ragging. On Saturday, a first-year historical past scholar of BJB Autonomous College ended her life after leaving a suicide observe by which she blamed three of her seniors for harassment. In April, a first-year MBBS scholar of Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital in Balangir district died by suicide after he was allegedly tortured by seniors. In this case, the coed had knowledgeable his dad and mom of the harassment earlier than taking to excessive steps.
Even after the 2 deaths, the Higher Education division has maintained a stoic silence on the problem. Despite each faculty – each common and technical – having anti-ragging cells, the menace appears to don’t have any finish within the State. In truth, Odisha has all the time remained within the top-5 states throughout the nation with regards to ragging as per the anti-ragging helpline (1800-180-5522) of the University Grants Commission.
The Supreme Court has mandated a number of laws that each larger instructional establishment should comply with together with submission of anti-ragging affidavits by college students throughout admissions at faculties, common visits by anti-ragging cell authorities to hostels the place newcomers have been accommodated, offering them brochures/info booklets containing the phone numbers of the UGC anti-ragging helpline and set up of CCTV cameras in widespread areas of the universities and hostels.
Sources within the BJB College knowledgeable that there’s only one practical CCTV digicam within the hostel the place the sufferer was staying. Currently, a scholar can register a ragging criticism with the anti-ragging cell of his/her establishment or with the UGC helpline or by mailing the criticism to odishaantiraggingcell@gmail.com.Superintendent of the BJB hostel Jyoti Rath stated all of the newcomers within the hostel had been sensitised on not tolerating ragging and to succeed in out to her or different faculty authorities if they’re ragged. “Had she or her parents informed us about the harassment meted out to her, we would have taken action,” she stated.
However, most establishments seem insulated from anti-ragging norms besides the submission of anti-ragging affidavits through the admission.“If the wardens or anti-ragging cell members made regular visits, the Balangir case would have never happened. In the case of the Bhima Bhoi MCH student, there was evidence of harassment by seniors but so far, no action has been taken against either the warden who is responsible for the safety of the hostel students or the accused students,” sources stated.
Although scores of ragging circumstances are being reported each educational yr in Odisha, the one stringent measure taken up to now was the rustication of 12 college students of VSSUT-Burla for assaulting a third-year scholar on September 22 final yr. Prior to that in 2019, the identical institute had imposed a meager superb of Rs 2,000 on every of the 52 college students who had been accused of ragging 50 juniors. The New Indian Express reached out to Secretary of the Higher Education division Saswat Mishra on the problem however he didn’t remark.
Meanwhile, members of the BJB College Students Association took out a rally demanding justice for the deceased. The three seniors who allegedly brought about her psychological harassment needs to be recognized and stringent motion taken in opposition to her, they demanded.
