Colleges strive for 'ragging free' campus

 Senior students in engineering colleges, beware! Apart from taking classes, your lecturers are also keeping a strict vigil in campus to avoid the dreaded menace of ragging.

Armed with strict orders from the Supreme Court and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to constitute monitoring committees to prevent ragging, the engineering colleges are leaving no stone unturned to prevent ragging, since last few years.

Principal of National Institute of Engineering (NIE), Dr M S Shivakumar said that anti-ragging activities started in their college 10-12 years ago, even before the order of the SC. Dr Shivakumar said, “A monitoring committee with 21 people including the principal, head of the departments, wardens, students and inspector from the local police station has been constituted.”

Apart from this a vigilance committee comprising 15 senior professors and hostel wardens has been constituted. He said that vigilance committee has been split into different groups and each group is assigned a specific area inside the campus. Dr Shivakumar said that student representatives have also been included in the committee in order to ensure complete removal of ragging from the colleges.

Principal of Vidya Vardhaka College of Engineering (VVCE), Dr Sadashive Gowda said that the college has a formed a anti-ragging committee comprising 22 members including Head of Departments and students. The members of the committee have registered with the nearby police station, he added.

Flying squad

Apart from this, a ‘flying squad’ has been formed to conduct surprise checks at hostels and especially during breaks. Dr Gowda said that during lunch or tea breaks, senior students get to interact with the freshers. The ‘flying squad’ frequents these places such as college corridors to ensure that ragging doesn’t raise its hood in the campus.

He said that senior students have been informed to welcome freshers instead of having an intimidating attitude. He said that helpline numbers have been displayed in prominent places of the college and hostel. Dr Gowda said that students are also being involved in the anti-ragging squad. He said that every day one department is assigned ensure the campus remains free of ragging.

“We have a disciplinary committee comprising eight professors,” said Dr Prakash, principal of GSSS Institute of Engineering and Technology for Women.

He said that since theirs is a girls college, the menace of ragging isn’t present. However, he said that there is no complacency among the faculty and regular watch is kept in the college to prevent any objectionable behaviour.