Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Ragging continues in colleges

Srinagar: Even though ragging has been officially banned and is punishable by law but in valley’s premier professional collages the practice is very much in vogue, even though the intensity may have changed. As the new academic session is about to commence by April, some students who have recently sought the admission in professional colleges are apprehensive about the possible ragging incidents. Saba Javaid has been planning for long to get admitted in an engineering college for the much sought after MCA course.

This year after completing her BCA from the Government Women’s College, Saba is looking forward to pursue her master’s degree in the a college. However, after her friend informed her about the behaviour of seniors towards juniors in the college campus, Saba is concerned. “Initially I was very eager and excited about my admission in a professional engineering college. But after my friend told me about the kind of behaviour seniors have towards juniors, I got scared. It has made me to think whether or not I should stick to my decision”, Saba told The Kashmir Monitor.

Well placed sources revealed that the senior students more often are seen bullying the juniors and fresher’s. Fatima (name changed), an ex student of a professional college says that she along with her batch mates have been the victims of ragging throughout their stay in the college. “We had to wish the seniors every time we saw them. We were not allowed to call their names. We were told to refer to them as ‘Sir’ and ‘Ma’am’. Canteen was banned for juniors and we were not even allowed to move out of our class during the lunch break”, said Fatima.

As per the Jammu and Kashmir Prohibition of Ragging Act, 2011, “ from the date of commencement of the Act, ragging within or outside any educational institution in the State shall be prohibited and no person shall commit, abet, propagate or participate in ragging within or outside any educational institution”. “Our seniors really used to humiliate us. Boys were not allowed to wear jeans, only formal clothes. Girls were questioned out of blue. It was insulting”, added Fatima.

 According to the act any person caught engaged in ragging has to pay a penalty. The act states, “Whosoever, directly or indirectly, commits or participates in or abets or propagates ragging within or, outside any educational institution shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees or with both”. Meanwhile, last year a 3rd Semester Diploma student of the same institution was reported to be found ragging a fresher in the campus canteen.

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