Under the influence of alcohol two students, Satyam Modi and Naishith (Neel) Patel of LD College of Engineering, beat up and threatened juniors in their hostel. The college's anti-ragging enquiry committee decided to suspend the two from using the hostel facilities.
In June, senior students of Graduate Diploma Programme (GDP) at the National Institute of Design (NID) barged into the junior's hostel rooms and passed lewd comments. They even asked them to smoke. After learning about the incident, the college's anti-ragging enquiry committee expelled the students from the hostel as well as the institute.
Ragging has for long created trouble not only for junior students but also for college authorities across India. It continues to be an issue of serious concern. And, despite efforts to curb this so-called college ritual, senior-junior sparring continues to raise its ugly head at city colleges. At times it has even led to suicide attempts by the juniors.
Ragging incidents have also left a grave impression on the victims' psyche and put senior students' careers at stake.
After the two incidents of ragging at NID and LD were reported in the media, city colleges have shown promptness in taking measures to avoid such occurrences inside the college premises. A majority of the institutes including Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University and Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA), have made sure that anti-ragging committees are in place.
The city's premier B-School, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) does not have an anti- ragging committee but the students feel the institute does not need one. "During orientation, students are explained in strict words that ragging will not yield good results. At IIMA hardly any ragging incidents have been reported as the age difference between the seniors and the juniors is quite high. Also, the students are much older than those at other colleges when they join the institute because of the work experience gained before admission," said Divya Suresh, a student coordinator at IIMA.
Authorities at the National Institute of Design (NID) not only acted firmly with the accused students but also increased the security personnel at the hostel campus. "We encourage students to come and report any such activity. Our eight-member squad is on guard and we comply with the Supreme Court guidelines," said registrar at NID, Vijaya Deshmukh.
Fr Vincent Braganza, principal, St. Xavier's College said they have a zero tolerance policy towards ragging. "We make students and parents sign a form about anti-ragging guidelines. Our anti-ragging committee is also in place. Whenever a student approaches the principal, the matter is heard, the committee is approached and the condition is dealt with. And all incidents are not of ragging. If a student is found guilty, he is suspended from the institution."
Fr Braganza said at times the situation becomes difficult to handle. "Sometimes students from other colleges and institutes are the real culprits and that is when we face difficulty," he stated.
Professor PK Chugan, in-charge of the anti-ragging committee at NIRMA said, "At NIRMA University, we are very strict about the menace of ragging. We have an anti-ragging committee, an anti-ragging squad and also a student-mentoring committee."
Chugan added that the university authorities are pro-active in preventing any such nuisance from taking place on its campus. "When a new batch begins, we visit the student hostel every night. We also carry out random checks and submit a weekly report to the vice-chancellor and at times to the UGC."
(With inputs from Niyati Rana)
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