New Delhi, July 12: Delhi University reopens on July 16. Many of the freshers are worried about ragging, but the authorities have promised to take adequate measures to stamp out the menace
Delhi University (DU) is taking steps to ensure a ragging-free North and South Campus.
On eve of the beginning of the new academic session, the proctor’s office said it will post policemen on the campus, activate anti-ragging squads, set up student grievance cells and complaint boxes and put up posters safeguarding freshers against the menace.
Colleges have been instructed to do whatever it takes to prevent bullying on the campus and in the hostels. DU proctor Gurmeet Singh said: “We have issued instructions to all heads of institutions under the DU that they should identify a disciplinary resource person and send his name, address and telephone numbers to the proctor’s office immediately. These people will directly liaise with the proctor at the university level.”
The colleges have been instructed to form disciplinary resource committees and vigilance squads to maintain law and order on the campuses and avoid cases of indiscipline. Dinesh Varshney, deputy dean, South Campus, said: “We have established two control rooms: one at the proctor’s office on North Campus and the other in my office.
CCTVs have been installed in most of the colleges. The footage will be monitored here. Any student, who still faces ragging, can come and report here.” Twenty-four CCTVs have been installed in the colleges; 20 more are to be installed in the near future. Policewomen will also be deployed on the campuses.
“We are holding a meeting on Sunday to finalise rest of the anti-ragging guidelines, which will be sent to all the colleges by Monday,” Varshney added. The Delhi University Students’ Union (Dusu) is also helping out the authorities to stub out bullying. Along with anti-ragging squads set up by Dusu last year, it has decided to launch a helpline for freshers in distress. “The helpline will be of particular use to those who live in hostels and are vulnerable to bullying once the classes are over. We have been talking to the police as well as university authorities about this,” Dusu president Nupur Sharma said.
Students can directly call up the helpline. If required, the union will take up individual cases with college authorities.
The helpline, scheduled to come into operation by mid- July, will be manned by a team of trained students. The main centre of operation will be the student union’s office. Posters, banners and pamphlets will be distributed to educate students about the facility.
Students of the Shri Ram College of Commerce have signed an undertaking that they would not be involved in ragging and related activities. “If we find any student involved in ragging, he or she will be handed over to the police for prosecution. We have conveyed this message to the parents also,” P. C Jain, principal of the college, said.
–Agencies