Madhya Pradesh
Student leaders expelled
Indore, February 28. Four student leaders from the city’s Government Holkar Science College (estb.1891) were expelled for gross indiscipline after being denied permission to organise a Holi celebration on campus. Following an investigation, Principal Anamika Jain confirmed that the college’s disciplinary committee has expelled the students and instructed them to collect their transfer certificates.
According to the investigation report, on February 23, the student leaders had advertised the celebration on campus announcing the event for March 7 without the principal’s approval. When the administration removed the publicity material, students locked the doors of an auditorium from outside and cut-off power supply leaving 150 people including the Principal, professors, and other staff trapped inside for nearly 30 minutes.
The report described this as a serious act of indiscipline and recommended strict action against the student leaders, who were later found guilty by the disciplinary panel.
Delhi
UGC show-cause notices
New Delhi, February 6. The University Grants Commission (UGC) issued show-cause notices to 18 medical colleges — two each in Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry; three each in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar; and one each in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh — for failure to comply with anti-ragging regulations.
Addressing a press conference, UGC Secretary Manish Joshi said: “It was found these colleges had not complied with mandatory requirements set out in the Anti-Ragging Regulations, 2009. Specifically, it has come to our notice that the institutions failed to obtain anti-ragging undertakings from students as required by the said regulations.”
The colleges have been directed to submit a written explanation within seven days from the date of receiving the notice, detailing reasons for the lapse and the action they intend to take to rectify this situation immediately.
Maharashtra
TISS professor resignation
Mumbai, February 24. The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai launched an inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment and bullying levelled by a student against an assistant professor, who has resigned following the accusation.
In a written complaint to TISS Chancellor, Prof. D.P. Singh and Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the student accused the professor of fostering a toxic environment on campus.
“The administration received a complaint against the professor on February 20. The Internal Complaint Committee immediately acknowledged the complaint and initiated an inquiry. Meanwhile, the professor resigned on February 21,” he added.
Apart from seeking strict action against the accused, the complainant also called for an anonymous grievance redressal system to enable students to report harassment without fear of retaliation.
Odisha
KIIT over-reaction
Bhubaneswar, February 25. The state government has directed the management of the top-ranked Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) to take stringent action against employees who misbehaved with Nepalese students following the suicide of a 20-year-old Nepal national on campus.
Soon after the suicide came to light, Nepalese students argued with KIIT staff demanding permission to view the body. This led to violent altercations during which several students were forcibly evicted from their hostels by KIIT employees and abandoned at a railway station far from the state capital.
The state government intervened after Nepal’s foreign minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, shared her concern with chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Dr. Deuba called for dismissal of teachers and staff who had misbehaved with the Nepalese students. Subsequently, the institute terminated two security staff members and suspended three senior officials, including a hostel administrator and an International Relations Officer, pending inquiry. KIIT authorities also issued an apology, acknowledging the distress caused to the foreign students.
Since then, of the 1,000 Nepalese students at KIIT, a small number have returned to campus, expressing fear of the “traumatic experience”.
Kerala
Ragging cases registered
Thiruvananthapuram, February 18. An incident of ragging involving a first-year biotechnology student who was assaulted by a group of seven third-year students has come to light in the Kariavattom Government College. The victim informed an Internal Grievances Redressal Cell (IGRC) that senior students dragged him into a Students’ Federation of India (SFI) unit room and beat him up.
After IGRC confirmation, the principal forwarded the complaint to Kazhakkuttom police station. Subsequently, the police registered a case against the seven students based on prior complaints and other incidents of ragging.
