The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Tackling bullies on the campus

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Tackling bullies on the campus

Staff Reporter

Institutions are required to ensure that ragging does not take place

Firm resolve: Students of a college taking the ‘anti-ragging pledge’.

KOCHI: Freshers, get ready for the new academic year.

Fears of ragging might trouble you but the University Grants Commission (UGC) is ready to help.

Colleges that fail to implement the recommendations against ragging might face the wrath of the committee this time.

The UGC has asked higher educational institutions to abide by the suggestions given by the R. K. Raghavan Committee against ragging.

In its voluminous report, the committee had suggested that the ‘freshers” day or ‘welcome party’ shall be concluded within the first two weeks of the beginning of the academic session.

Members of the college faculty must be present during the programme to ensure that no ragging or untoward incident takes place on the occasion.

Every institution should engage or seek the assistance of professional counsellors at the time of admissions to counsel ‘freshers’ in order to prepare them for the life ahead, particularly for adjusting to the life in hostels.

Experts found that preparing students in this manner would enable them to cope with the stresses of the hitherto unknown life on the campus.

They have also recommended joint sensitisation programmes and counselling of both ‘freshers’ and seniors by a professional counsellor.

Joint orientation programme of ‘freshers’ and seniors to be addressed by the principal/head of the institution and the anti-ragging committee could also be organised on the campus.

The committee against ragging has also suggested organising cultural, sports and other activities to provide a platform for the ‘freshers’ and seniors to interact in the presence of faculty members.

In hostels, the warden should address all students.

He/she may request two junior colleagues from the college faculty to assist the warden by becoming resident tutors for a temporary duration.

It has been recommended that as far as possible, faculty members should dine with the hostel residents in their respective hostels to instil a feeling of confidence among the fresh residents.

Surveys

The committee has recommended that anonymous random surveys must be conducted by each institution, across the entire first year batch of students every fortnight during the first three months of the academic session in order to verify and cross-check whether the campus is indeed free of ragging or not.

The institution could design its own methodology of conducting such a survey.

It is extremely important that the institution does not compromise the anonymity of whistle blowers.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala