Time to strictly ensure Ragging Free Campus

Insight Bureau: In a short span of three months, Odisha has recorded its second death of a college student purported due to ragging. On Saturday, an 18-year-old girl pursuing her undergraduate degree at BJB Autonomous College finished her life after leaving a suicide note. She blamed three of her seniors for harassment which was the reason of her death. Before, in April, a first-year MBBS student of Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital in Balangir district also committed suicide after he was allegedly tortured by the seniors.

The hostel’s superintendent, Jyoti Rath, said the victim, Ruchika Mohanty was studying BA (Honours) History stayed back in her room when her roommates left to attend classes at around 10 am. “When she did not open the door till late, students raised alarm. Later, we broke open the door and found her dead,” she said.

She further added that if Ruchika or her parents informed her about the issue, the authorities would have taken action and it wouldn’t have cost her life. Jyoti Rath also mentioned that all the newcomers in the hostel were affected due to the sensitive issue. The college authorities have ordered the students not to tolerate ragging and to reach out to the hostel’s superintendent or other college authorities if they are ragged.

Earlier this year, a first-year MBBS student of Haryana studying in a state-run medical college in Bolangir district died by suicide on April 22 after he was allegedly tortured by his seniors.

The Supreme Court has ordered several regulations that every higher education institution must follow, including the making of anti-ragging affidavits by students during admission to colleges, regular visits by anti-ragging cell authorities to dormitories where newcomers have been housed. The institution must provide a brochures with UGC’s anti-ragging helpline numbers to the students and the CCTV cameras installation to be done in the college and hostels.

However, most institutions appear insulated from anti-ragging norms, with the exception of taking anti-ragging affidavits during admission. But in both the cases couldn’t stand to their expectations. In Ruchika case, there was only an active CCTV camera at the hostel premises.

Talking about the Bhima Bhoi MCH student, if the anti-ragging cell authorities would have regularly visited to the new students as per the anti-ragging affidavits, a life would have been saved. There were proper evidence of harassment by seniors, but so far no action has been taken against the warden responsible for the safety of the dormitory students, nor against the accused students. Only a three-member team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)  started an investigation into the death of the MBBS student prior some days.

As per the anti-ragging helpline (1800-180-5522) of the University Grants Commission, Odisha has always remained in the top-5 states across the country when it comes to ragging . But, the only strict measure taken so far was the sentencing of 12 students at VSSUT-Burla for assaulting a third-year student on September 22 last year. Earlier in 2019, the VSSUT-Burla fined each of the 52 students accused of bludgeoning 50 juniors a measly Rs 2,000.