[ToI] 'Ragging' for a cause

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15 Oct 2007, 0000 hrs IST,Pragya Kaushika,TNN

While St Stephen's College, Delhi University (DU), struggles with its on-campus ragging fracas, a group of students from the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), DU, have come up with a way to interact with freshers in a healthy manner. Their version of ragging is a `silent’ (mock) auction that they organise every year, wherein freshers are invited to bid.

On offer at the auction is a range of social meetings with seniors, including coffee dates, counselling sessions and even bike lessons for the fresh batch. The money collected at the auction is used for social causes.

"The bike lessons on offer had many takers, especially from girls," says Raman Dhaliwal, second year student at FMS. Adds Ashish Agarwal, president, Vihaan, FMS' social cell, "Customised homemade food for a week at only Rs 500 was a steal, as was the unlimited chocolate cake and ice-cream treat for Rs 270. It was exciting to have 200 freshers trying to outbid each other."

The event is also a novel way of contributing to society. Informs Neha Bhujang, second year student at FMS, "The fact that we collected around Rs 21,000 during the three-hour event shows how successful the idea is. This year, the highest bid was made for 'Financial Accounting Sessions' conducted by a senior."

The event also helps students to get interested in corporate social responsibility that is gaining popularity among employers. Adds Abhishek, a third year student at FMS, "This year too, Vihaan, our social cell, has decided that the money will be utilised for girl child education, as illiteracy especially of women is a roadblock to our growth."