RGUHS students to sign undertaking against drug abuse

Alarmed by the unfolding drug scandal in the Sandalwood and substance abuse among the actors and VIPs, the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) is being more vigilant on its students and their activities on the campuses of its affiliated colleges.

The university has decided to obtain an undertaking from the students during admissions against doing drugs. Accordingly, from this year, all students who secure admission to medical, dental and other courses at the colleges affiliated to the RGUHS will have to furnish an anti-drug undertaking.

All these years it was mandatory for students to submit anti-ragging undertaking and the one against drug use is an addition from this year. The students as well as their parents should sign this declaration.

The officials of the varsity said that higher education institutions, particularly medical and engineering colleges were the targets of drug peddlers. “This is the stage when students get access to money easily fall prey to drugs,” an official said.

The principal of a private medical college in Bengaluru said that drug addiction cases were more in the colleges with a large number of non-Karnataka students. “Students from other states usually stay away from their homes and parents and hence they become addicts easily,” he said.

The university will initiate disciplinary action against students if they violate the anti-drug undertaking. The official said that the varsity would constitute anti-drug committees on the lines of anti-ragging committees at the college levels. These committees would be headed by senior professors.

University officials said that colleges would be directed to organise talks on ill-effects of drugs and substance abuses.

Dr Sachidanand, Vice-Chancellor, RGUHS, said that the affiliated colleges would be asked to obtain an anti-drug undertaking from students during admissions without fail.