Coimbatore: With the UGC stepping in for strict monitoring of ragging and setting up a National Call
Centre to lodge complaints, the Bharathiar University has asked all its affiliated colleges to form committees to prevent ragging.
Each committee would comprise a representative from the management, two senior staff, a woman staff and an SC/ST member, with the College Principal heading it.
According to University Vice-Chancellor Dr G Thiruvasagam, the committee, to be set up soon, will meet once a month or whenever a ragging incident is reported.
The University felt the need to prevent ragging, following an incident where a BBA student of a city college lost his eyesight when five senior students 'ragged him in a brutal manner' after he reportedly refused to part with money.
The students, hailing from Kerala, are still at large and police have failed to trace them.
Since the university has over 600 foreign students and candidates from other States, a coordinator representing foreign countries and other states would also be a member of the committee.
Besides the committee, a 'grievance black box' would be placed in front of the college office, in which students could drop their complaints and their identity kept secret, Thiruvasagam said.
Complaints received from students would be handled by the Principal himself or University Registrar, Thiruvasagam said.
The committee has to submit reports every month to the University about the complaints and also the action taken on them.
Apart from the 'black box,' a board would also be installed at a prominent place, mentioning various measures taken for prevention of ragging, including the names of committee members and their telephone numbers.
These steps were aimed at helping out the first year students, who could be the target for ragging.
The University has already sent circulars to over 200 colleges and details would be discussed with all the Principals, he said.
The Principal would be taken to task if the committee failed to take proper action on complaints.
If the complaints of ragging were proved, the students involved would be sent out of the college and if need be, a criminal case would be lodged against him or them, he added.
There should also be guidelines and mechanism to distinguish between a 'scuffle and ragging,' among students, since many incidents, which may be highlighted as ragging would end up as a mere scuffle between the students, some College Principals felt.