[HT] BHU students fined for ragging

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TAKING SERIOUS note of alleged ragging with freshers of the Computer Science Department, the administration has imposed a fine of Rs 500 each on all the 23 students of Master of Computer Application (MCA) second year.

All the freshers of MCA course were seen wearing black pants and white shirts without any occasion in the department on Thursday. Sensing some foul play, the BHU administration conducted an investigation into the entire matter and imposed a fine on 23 senior inmates of Ramkrishna Hostel.

Hostel coordinator Dr Sri Singh said that the incident was taken as ragging and therefore, the senior students were punished. Since no particular student was identified responsible for the case, the fine was imposed on all the 23 second year students, he added. He said those who failed to submit the fine could face expulsion from hostel.

The BHU administration has constituted anti-ragging action committees at institutes, colleges, faculties, departments and hostels to check ragging in the new academic session. Besides, an eleven-member Ragging Prevention Committee has also been constituted under the chairmanship of Prof AK Agrawal.

[NDTV] Gujarat students stripped during ragging

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The Mahatma Gandhi Gujarat Vidyapeeth is currently in the eye of an unsavoury storm.

A group of first year microbiology students at the Sadra Centre were allegedly stripped, oil was put on their backs and they were branded like cattle with a few senior students putting their signatures on them.

The incident is a first in the 85-year history of the Vidyapeeth, and although the authorities admit that such an incident did take place, they prefer not to call it ragging but insisted that it was a shameful act of mischief.

Moreover, they suggest that it's time for some introspection for the institute.

"It's a serious issue and a call for self introspection that even after two years, we weren't able to inculcate Gandhian values in these errant students," said Sudarshan Ayengar, Vice Chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi Gujarat Vidyapeeth.

The Vidyapeeth has initiated action against the students involved in the incident. As punishment, they are now required to do community work for an hour each day for a year, including working at a gobar gas project.

Gandhians shocked

The incident has strained relations between freshers and seniors, but the Gandhians are shocked.

"The incident clearly shows that the Vidyapeeth has digressed from Gandhian values and that there is an urgent need to restore those values," said Chinubhai Vaidya, a Gandhian.

Meanwhile, the Vidyapeeth officials have provided an interesting explanation regarding the incident.

"A senior student having some ailment had been advised a massage by the doctor, and his room partner used to help him in that. This year some freshers were roped in by the senior for this, and this later triggered the mischief," said Rajendra Khimani, Registrar, Mahatma Gandhi Gujarat Vidyapeeth.

Irrespective of the reasons behind the incident, one thing is sure that ragging at the Mahatma's own Vidyapeeth has badly dented the institution's image.

[DNA] 22 fashion institute students are suspended for ‘ragging’

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‘Victim’ in hospital, but accused students have denied allegation.

Twenty-two students of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, have been suspended for a week for allegedly ragging first year students. The second and third year students were given suspension letters by NIFT Director IB Peerzada on Friday morning.

The students, however, have denied the charge.

Institute authorities were tight-lipped about the incident. The name of the alleged victim was not disclosed.

NIFT authorities were told that the “victim” had been admitted to hospital after the alleged ragging. The victim suffered an asthmatic seizure after the incident, which led to the hospitalisation, sources said.

However, the 22 students maintained that there was no ragging . They claimed that the admitted student suffered from the asthmatic seizure on his own.

After the letters of suspension were given to the students, they were asked to meet the director one by one in the evening and present their version.

Only two students got the chance to place before the director their version.

The others have been called on Monday.

Meanwhile, the juniors have written a letter to the director saying they did not have any issues with the seniors.

They have also denied that they were being ragged.

Attempts to contact Peerzada proved futile, as he was busy in the meeting with the senior students till evening.

[Yahoo] 'KGMU seniors caught ragging to be suspended for six months'

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The new session at the KGMU is all set to begin from August 1. Ragging, fake certificates, security and accommodation of the freshers would be few issues that would top the priority of the administration for next few months. Our correspondent spoke to VK Singh, Proctor of the King George’s Medical University, regarding the preparations that the University has doneto protect them from ragging and welcome the freshers to oneof the well known medical institutions of India

Ragging in medical institutions have been well known and KGMU has a record of having students leave the institution following ragging. How does the university plan to tackle this problem?
We have made it clear that any senior student caught ragging the juniors would be suspended for at least six months. Moreover, we have also arranged extra security for the freshers. I have already selected four guards who will be on round-the-clock duty with the freshers and they will escort these feshers to classes as well as to the hostels, so that they cannot be caught by any senior for ragging. We expect that with these security guards around none of the senior students will muster courage to rag the juniors.

It is known that the maximum number of ragging cases are reported from outside the campus rather than within the campus. Does the university have any plan to to restrict such incidents?
Since one of our hostels is located in the trans-Gomti area, the freshers, on their way to the hostel, are caught by the seniors. However, this year, we have made an arrangement to accommodate these students in one of the newly-constructed block of Chakrovarty Hostel within the campus. Thus, that problem has also been solved. Moreover, we have also made arrangements for day scholars to come in casual wear and change into their required dress-code in these hostels meant for hostelers and again before they go home. In that case, they cannot be identified outside the campus.

The security given by the institution remains only till the hostel gate, but there have been reports of ragging inside the hostels as well, after evening.
It is true that many a times, students report of ragging inside the hostels. Keeping this in mind, we have decided to deploy two security guards round the clock outside TG Hostel for Boys as well as VL hostel for Girls. One of these guards would also carry a weapon. Moreover, since a male security guard cannot enter the girls hostel at night, we have selected a lady security guard for duty outside the girls hostel, so that in case there is a need to check the hostel at night, it can be done so without any hesitation.

Each year there are complaints of poor facilities at the hostels, be it the kitchen or the toilets. What should the new batch of 2006 expect to see in their first year of accommodation at the campus?
KGMU is expanding day-by-day and even extensions of the old hostels have been constructed. We have also got all the hostels cleaned up before the arrival of the new batch. The new CV Hostel with extended capacity of 100 students is one of them. Thus, this year they should not be any complaints of poor infrastructure at the university.

Even while documents are being verified, there have been cases of students being allotted colleges at lower percentages. There have also been cases where students had taken admission in the University on the basis of fake documents. How will university tackle them this year?
As far as the case of students with low percentage is concerned, we are diverting these cases to the Director General of Medical Education because this is the mistake of a particular counselling centre and thus has to be handled by the DGME. As far as taking admission on fake documents is concerned, this year we have taken only provisional admission of the new students and have sent the caste and other related certificates for verification to various districts. The admission of each student will be confermed only after all their records are verified. Thus in case of fake documents being found, we have reserved the right to cancel the admission of any student.

How have you planned the first day of the freshers at the KGMU? When would they be given a freshers' party?
We have sorted out the plan for the first day of these students and they will all be required to gather at 11am at the Brown Hall, where they will be welcomed by me and then a member of the proctorial board will acquaint them with the history of the KGMU as per tradition. Then, these students will be given an introduction of each department. The fresher party will be organised six weeks after the start of the session, as the tradition goes.

What’s the buzz at Vidyapith now? Ragging

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First years allege they were forced to give massages; Vidyapith’s punishment: social work for a day

Ahmedabad, July 26: RAGGING may be a big no-no at all colleges, but it doesn’t seem to be so at Gujarat Vidyapith, the institute set up by Mahatma Gandhi.

First year students of the Vidyapith’s Sadra campus, near Gandhinagar, have alleged that they were ragged: they say they were forced to give massages to a senior student for weeks. However, despite written complaints to the Vice-Chancellor, they say, no serious action was taken against the students involved. The matter was referred to Registrar Dr Rajendra Khemani, who let off the culprits with a warning and announced their punishment: social work for an hour a day.

The incident took place on July 18 in the BSc campus.

The trouble started when a junior, who was forced to give a massage to Anilsinh, a third year student of microbiology, spilled oil on his body. Enraged, Anilsinh apparently forced 17 first years to strip, after which he and some of his classmates allegedly pour oil on their posteriors.

The traumatised students reported the case to their parents, who in turn complained to Vice-Chancellor Sudarshan Iyengar.

Vidyapith officials initially tried to cover up the incident, stating that it was a case of verbal abuse. Later, they admitted that the incident had taken place. One of the 17 students, in his complaint to the V-C, states: ‘‘On July 18, I was called inside the room by a senior at around 8.30 pm... .’’ On what happened after the massage, he says: ‘‘The senior then asked me to strip... he then threw oil on my posterior... he then quickly left the room.’’

Registrar Dr Khemani says: ‘‘Anilsinh, a student, used to get massages for the last four months as he was injured during a sports event. While getting a massage from one of the juniors, some oil fell on his posterior. He then asked students to take off their clothes and threw oil on their posteriors.’’

A relative of one of the students, on conditions of anonymity, said the student was so traumatised and ashamed after the incident that he could not speak to his parents about it. The students submitted a written complaint to the VC, but no strict action was taken. The parents of the students who were victimised met the Vidyapith Registrar on Wednesday. Khemani said, ‘‘We talked at length about the incident and we have reached an understanding. We have asked senior students to do social work one hour every day as a punishment.’’ ‘‘It has happened for the first time so we have decided to forgive them with minor punishment,’’ said Head of Department Pradeep Acharya.

‘‘As for the punishment we have asked some of the senior students to visit the nearby villages and help them to repair the bio-gas plants, help the workers who prepare hand-made papers to market their product and repair the Charkhas.

A source at the GV said ‘‘The institute was set-up by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 with the objective to prepare through education, workers with character, ability, culture and conscientiousness necessary for the conduct of the movements connected with the regeneration of the country in accordance with the ideals given by him. The incident is quite contradictory. Had he been alive at the moment he would have been ashamed of the incident,’’ he said.

[IE] Student alleges ragging in school hostel, packs his bags

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Vadodara, July 21: A CLASS VIII student of the Bhavan VM Public School, Vadodara, on Thursday packed his bags and left for his Ahmedabad home, complaining of ragging and verbal abuse by seniors in the school. However, school authorities denied the charge saying no ragging had taken place and instead suggested the boy, Zil Dalal, was homesick.

Zil, who is a resident of Ambawadi in Ahmedabad, said ‘‘The seniors would verbally abuse me daily and also ill-treat me all the time,’’ he said. He also added that his classmates did not let him study in peace and constantly riled him. Unable to take it anymore, Zil said he decided to leave the school. His sister Payal and her husband supported his decision. ‘‘It was not a nice school, Zil did not like it there so he left. So we withdrew him from the school,’’ said Payal.

The school has a different take on the entire episode though and insisted no ragging incident had taken in the past. Bhavan school principal, Vidya Shridesh, said, ‘‘We are a strict school and have never tolerated ragging. I think Zil was homesick, parents should understand their children and not just pack them off to hostels,’’ she said.

A Class XII hostel student, Jimmy, said seniors barely had the time to fraternise with the others as their schedule was tightly packed. ‘‘In fact, when the principal asked me if I was involved in ragging Zil, I asked her who Zil was?’’ he said.

His local guardian, Jennifer Bangora, said Zil had been studying in Mount Abu as a hosteler for six years without a problem. ‘‘I had heard that he was not happy at all in the hostel here,’’ she said.

School authorities said they had learnt that Zil who had done his Class VII at Anand Niketan School in Ahmedabad had encountered problems there as well. After leaving Anand Niketan, he had got admission into Bhavan. Prior to Anand Niketan he had studied in Mt Abu up to Class VI where he had secured 90 per cent marks which dropped to 50 per cent at Anand Niketan.

[HT] AU gears up to prevent ragging

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WITH UNDER graduate admissions in full swing, the Allahabad University (AU) proctorial team has gone on full alert to ensure that the new-comers get a warm but ragging-free welcome on the campus.

Under the new initiative, members of the proctorial team will remain vigilant on all the campuses of the varsity ready to nab any student trying to rag or harass a fresher in the name of "getting an introduction".

AU Proctor Prof Jata Shankar recently held a meeting with all the assistant proctors and chalked out a detailed plan to keep AU free of the ragging menace this year.

"We are determined to keep AU free of ragging this year. For this, assistant proctors will take multiple rounds of the various campuses every day in teams.

They will be backed by varsity's security personnel as well as cops, if needed.

With the current speed of the admissions, we are expecting the new-comers to start coming to the varsity within the next week and it is during this time that we will carry out stricter identity card checking drives to catch outsiders and crack down on anyone who tries to rag a student," informed Prof Jata Shankar.

He said that most of the complaints during the past years have come from the Commerce and the Science faculties.

"It is due to this that we will be keeping a hawk's eye on these two campuses.

The time when certain class rooms and labs are isolated and spots that are usually deserted during teaching hours are being identified so that we can check these out from time to time," he added.

The proctor said that the varsity has decided to initiate exemplary punishments against students who attempt to rag the freshers this time around.

"No offender will be spared and no excuse or plea will be accepted.

We believe that a few rotten apples bring bad name to the entire varsity by their such acts and should be dealt with strictly. This will take care of the trouble-makers and enable all other students to get on with the job of learning and getting educated," he said.