One student expelled, 4 suspended over ragging incident in NIFT, Kangra

DHARAMSALA: Junior students of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) at Chheb in Kangra were reportedly ragged inside the campus last Friday by senior students. Four final year students, involved in the incident, have been suspended, while one was expelled, after the matter was reported to the authorities.

Confirming the suspension of five students, officiating registrar, NIFT, Pankaj Rastogi said that five students were found guilty of ragging, who were suspended temporarily from the institution. "We have also referred the matter to our New Delhi head office and have recommended stern action against the students involved," Rastogi said.

A disciplinary committee was constituted to enquire into the incident of ragging after junior students lodged a complaint with anti-ragging committee of the institution against five senior students, charging them with ragging the juniors on October 6 and 7 in the hostel, he said.

Maintaining that the management has taken the matter seriously, Rastogi said the accused students have been barred from entering the classes while one student has been expelled from hostel immediately after the committee submitted its report.

"The management is very serious about the ragging incident and has taken action against the culprits as per NIFT guidelines. The accused behaved rudely with junior students, though nothing harsh happened. The institute is committed to stop such incidents, hence the action against accused," he added.

NIFT at Kangra, second in north India after NIFT, New Delhi, was opened in August 2009. The ragging incident is the first such case in its two years of functioning.

However, this is the second incident of ragging in educational institutions of Kangra district within a week. Recently five students of a private university at Palampur were arrested for ragging their juniors.