THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the aim to strengthen student safety, the government on Wednesday launched a mobile app that allows students to anonymously report ragging and other campus-related grievances. It has been named after JS Siddharth, who died allegedly by suicide in 2024 following ragging at College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Wayanad.
The government also launched a project to establish 300 science centres across the state to promote scientific temper and inquiry-based learning among young people. The launch of the Student Aspiration Survey, aimed at paving the way for major reforms in higher education, and the inauguration of a special online course on scientific temper, prepared in collaboration with C-DIT, were also held.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan inaugurated the first sub-centre of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Scientific Temper project at Government Women’s College, Thiruvananthapuram. He also launched the Siddharth Student Welfare mobile app.
In his inaugural address, Satheesan stressed the need to revive the scientific spirit and rational thinking envisioned by India’s first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, both on campuses and in society.
He also warned that the government would adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards ragging and ensure those responsible were brought to justice.
Presiding over, Higher Education Minister Roji M John said the government was actively considering a Siddharth Anti-Ragging Act to provide stronger legal framework for tackling the menace.
He also said the project envisaged setting up 300 sub-centres under the leadership of the Kerala State Higher Education Council, to foster scientific temper and humanism among nearly 15 lakh young people.
At a time when fake news and superstition spread rapidly in the digital space, the centres would help students distinguish facts from myths, he said. Prof Achuthsankar S Nair, vice-chairman of Higher Education Council; B Ashok, Principal Secretary, higher education, and other dignitaries attended.
