| KOLKATA: Days after Jadavpur University students staged a demonstration in favour of those found guilty of ragging, education minister Bratya Basu criticized people who support and take part in such a "heinous crime".
The minister assured on Monday that rules will be framed based on regulations of the University Grants Commission against ragging.
"We shall soon make stringent rules to curb the menace. The discussions are at a very preliminary stage. The state government is in no mood to tolerate ragging in any form and neither compromise on the issue of punishment," Basu said.
"It is seen as a means to amuse themselves by ragging the juniors. This is very unfortunate. Those who take part in ragging fail to understand the trauma the victims go through. At times, it can even cripple students and shatter their lives and that of their family," the minister added.
When on one hand the students of Jadavpur University (JU) expressed strong support in favour of students who have been found guilty of ragging by the state's prestigious institution, education minister Bratya Basu on Monday came down heavily on those who support the heinous crime as well as those who take part in ragging to "entertain" themselves. The minister assured that rules will be framed based on the regulations given out by the University Grants Commission (UGC) against ragging.
"We shall soon make stringent rules to curb the menace. The discussions are at a very preliminary stage. The state government is in no mood to tolerate ragging in any form and neither compromise on the issue of punishment," Basu said.
"It is seen as a means to amuse themselves by ragging the juniors. This is very unfortunate. Those who take part in ragging fail to understand the trauma which the victims go through. Sometimes it can even cripple the students and shatter their lives including the family," Basu said.
Bengal ranks second in the country, next only to Uttar Pradesh, in cases registered on the National Anti-Ragging Helpline. Between 2009 and June 2013, the state recorded 233 cases while UP had 398.
Two institutes from Bengal feature in lists, compiled by the national anti-ragging cell, of colleges and universities that have reported the maximum number of ragging cases over the past four years. The West Bengal University of Technology (WBUT) and the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Durgapur, occupy third places on the two separate lists for colleges and universities.
In case of the WBUT, a whopping 91 complaints have been registered with the helpline from technical colleges affiliated to it over the past four years while 15 complaints have reached the helpline from NIT Durgapur over the same period. |