HYDERABAD: In the wake of several ragging incidents coming to light in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, universities in the two states are stepping up their efforts to curb the menace by issuing circulars and holding meetings.
The latest to do so was Osmania University, which issued a circular over the constitution of an anti-ragging committee, squads and counselling cells in its affiliated colleges a few days ago. The circular was released after a 22-year-old engineering student, Sunitha, committed suicide on August 5 in Guntur. The final year student jumped off from the first floor after the college principal reportedly reprimanded her over a complaint. The circular has directed institutions to follow the anti-ragging policy formulated by the university.
In the past one month, as many as five cases of ragging have come to the fore, a majority of which were from Andhra Pradesh. The latest was on August 6, when a student of Nizam College, Fateh Maidan, in the city dialled 100 and threatened to commit suicide over ragging on campus.
The issue first grabbed limelight when Rishikeswari, a first-year student of Acharya Nagarjuna University Architecture College, Guntur, ended her life in her hostel room on July 14 this year after being ragged by her seniors. Her death forced the Andhra Pradesh government to draft an anti-ragging legislation on the lines of the Nirbhaya Act.
In a meeting conducted earlier this month, the vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada, instructed the 264 directors of affiliated colleges to constitute anti-ragging committees and anti-ragging squads besides installing CCTV cameras and alarm bells at all vital points, including class rooms and hostels.
“In the meeting, the VC directed all managements to be sensitive towards matters related to ragging. Surprise inspections will be held in all affiliated colleges to know if committees have been formed or not,” said Ch Saibabu, director of evaluation in JNTU-K.
The vice-chancellor of Andhra University, GSN Raju, too held a series of meetings with officials to make the campus free from ragging. “The university has constituted a task force to make surprise raids in departments and hostels to keep a tab on issues pertaining to ragging,” he said.
English and Foreign Language University, Telangana University are among many others following the footsteps in curbing ragging on campus.