BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has asked the Odisha Police to set up a round the clock helpline number in order to stop the ragging in higher educational institutions.
Acting on a series of petitions against ragging by convener of Ragging Free Campus Abhiyan (RFCA) Tejeswar Parida, who had sought immediate preventive measures by the State government to stop the menace, the rights panel has issued the interim recommendation to the Director General of Police.
"The commission is inclined to make an interim recommendation to the DG and the IG of Police, Odisha for setting up an anti-ragging 24x7 helpline number in the Human Rights Protection Cell to effectively curb the menace of ragging," read the OHRC order.
The OHRC found the facts cited in a petition related to ragging of an ANM student at a training centre hostel on Deogarh district headquarters hospital campus 'very shocking' and ordered the matter to be inquired by its own agency.
The Commission directed the police to handover the records to Addl DGP (OHRC) to inquire and submit a report within one month. The commission put up the matter to August 29 for next hearing.
On the alleged ragging of a student of BJB College which led to her suicide, the Police Commissioner has submitted report to the Commission, which has put the next hearing on August 29. The RFCA has been taking up the issues of giving justice to victims of ragging and ensuring long term prevention measures to curb the menace in academic institutions in Odisha.