BHUBANESWAR: In wake of the rising number of ragging cases in institutions of higher education across the State, the Khurda administration has urged administrations of colleges and universities in the district to strictly adhere to the anti-ragging guidelines.
Khurda has the highest number of universities and colleges as compared to any other district. In the absence of State specific legislation on ragging, higher education institutions in Odisha follow the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines on anti-ragging to keep the campuses free from the menace.
The Khurda Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy held a meeting with principals of all major colleges and vice-chancellors of all public and private universities on the issue on Wednesday. With many such institutions lacking measures to curb ragging, the Collector urged the academicians to implement the anti-ragging guidelines in letter and spirit.
"We have asked them to strictly follow the guidelines, particularly formation of anti-ragging committees, squads and cells. Besides, all institutions have to install CCTV cameras in common areas of campuses to keep an eye on students indulging in such acts and counsel both new and old students on ills of ragging," Chakravarthy said.
Sources said although many institutions have anti-ragging squads and committees in place, the members rarely visit campuses to sensitise students till a case is reported. In BJB Autonomous College where a first year girl allegedly died by suicide over harassment by three seniors on Saturday last, there was just one CCTV camera at the entrance of her hostel.
On Thursday, another student of the college accused his seniors of ragging him and lodged a complaint in the Badagada police station.