Dirty laundry will be banned in educational institutions and a district-level committee will be formed under the chairmanship of DM. Director of Higher Education Dr Rekha Kumari has written a letter to the registrars of all universities… Know how the committee will be formed, how the work will be done…

Samastipur: These days, violent incidents are constantly making the news. Students who enroll in higher educational institutions with an eye on a better future have to face this strange ragging culture as soon as they reach the campus. Harassment creates fear among the new students due to which they become mentally depressed. They often develop hatred towards their institution. Those who suffer from it experience depression, loneliness and become despondent. So far, to stop crime in educational institutions, an anti-ragging committee or cell has been formed at the level of the educational institutions themselves, but now crime in educational institutions will be monitored at the district level. For this, a committee will be formed under the leadership of DM. In addition to representatives of educational institutions, SPs, media representatives, representatives of non-governmental institutions and representatives of student organisations will be included in it. This system will be applicable throughout the state and all universities in the state will be included in the anti-ragging committee at the district level of their respective area. For this, Director of Higher Education Dr Rekha Kumari has written a letter to the registrars of all the universities. This arrangement is being made on the orders of the Supreme Court and instructions of the UGC. The Director of Higher Education has mentioned the officials and representatives of various units who will join the district-level committee under the structure decided by the UGC. The committee will be formed under the leadership of the Commissioner or DM. He will be the head of the committee. The principals of the concerned university and the main college or educational institution of the district where there is no university will be members. The Superintendent of Police will also be a member while officers of ADM rank will be member-secretaries. Representatives of local media, representatives of district NGOs and representatives of student organisations will also be members of the committee. The letter says that the committee will monitor incidents falling under the purview of irregularity in collaboration with the local police and district administration as well as officials of various institutions. Student leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said ragging is a heinous crime that cannot be stopped by law alone. To prevent it, students must raise their voice and be aware of their rights. The university administration and other stakeholders should work together to end the culture of impunity regarding ragging. It is our duty to thoroughly investigate this matter so that no other student falls victim to cruelty and violence on campus. Dr Vijay Kumar Gupta, assistant professor, Women’s College, said that generally in colleges and higher educational institutions, new students are harassed and humiliated on the pretext of socialising. Many a time, students who are victims of harassment and insults suffer from depression or lose self-confidence. Some are forced to drop out of studies. It is also a fact that sometimes students commit suicide due to harassment or shame over being ragged. It is an irony that ragging is committed by the same students who have been victims of it. After all, what is this mentality that the same students who are victims of ragging, start bullying new students as soon as they become final year students? It is worrying that despite the UGC’s anti-ragging guidelines, ragging is not stopping in higher education institutions.

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