When an period in-between vice-chancellor (V-C) of a top-ranking college alleges that conspiracy is being hatched to oust him, complains that he’s being ragged by means of scholars or even sits on an indication at the side of the college’s registrar and a couple of alternative professors towards scholars — all inside of two months of his appointment — it means that one thing is flawed within the college.
That’s precisely what has been going down at Jadavpur College (JU) in Kolkata because the period in-between V-C Buddhadeb Sau used to be appointed by means of West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, who’s the chancellor of the state-run college, on August 19.
The college used to be adjudged the most productive within the shape by means of the Union training ministry-affiliated Nationwide Institute Rating Framework (NIRF) in 2023, and the fourth within the nation nearest IISc, Bengaluru, Jawaharlal Nehru College, Delhi, and Jamia Millia Islamia, additionally in Delhi, for the second one consecutive 12 months.
On October 12, on the other hand, the college witnessed an exceptional match through which Sau at the side of Snehamanju Basu, college registrar, Amitabha Datta pro-VC and a category of professors sat on an indication towards the ‘unruly and abusive’ behaviour of a category of scholars. It lasted for almost 24 hours.
“Usually the portico of Aurobindo Bhavan, the administrative building of the university, is where students hold their protests. Last week, however, there seemed to be a role reversal. The university witnessed something unprecedented. The VC, registrar, pro-VC all sitting on a protest,” a college pupil stated.
The V-C used to be open mendacity ailing on his chest on a bedsheet, unfold at the flooring within the portico of the executive development, signing paperwork generation the registrar and alternative senior professors sat beside him.
“A section of the students has been making unjustified and undemocratic demands. They demanded that representatives from all students’ hostel blocks be included in administrative and policy-making bodies such as the executive council and anti-ragging committee. This is against the statute,” Sau advised HT.
The college has been within the highlight since August 10 when a first-year pupil allegedly jumped to demise from the second one flooring of the hostel nearest he used to be critically ragged and sexually stressed by means of a gang of seniors and previous scholars who had been staying within the hostel illegally.
Police registered a homicide case at the foundation of a grievance lodged by means of the sufferer’s father and arrested 13 stream and previous scholars. Because the police probe into the incident improved, the College Grants Fee (UGC) pulled up the college as anti-ragging regulations had been flouted.
This, on the other hand, used to be now not the primary year Sau voiced his frustration. Previous in September, inside of a year of becoming a member of, Sau stated even he used to be a ‘victim of ragging’ by means of a category of scholars.
“Out of the 13,000 odd students, a section is unnecessarily creating disruptions and making unjustified demands. After the unfortunate death of a student, the university wanted to put some restrictions on the safety of the students. (But) A section of the students is not allowing the administration to take any decision or work. I think there are some brains behind them who are actually pulling the strings. I am not being allowed to leave office. What kind of attitude is this? Even I am a victim of ragging,” Sau had advised the media, including {that a} conspiracy were hatched to power him to surrender.
On August 23, the officiating V-C used to be picketed for a couple of hours by means of scholars who demanded that an all-stakeholder assembly be referred to as to speak about anti-ragging measures.
An govt council assembly used to be referred to as on September 26 however it remained inconclusive. A gathering used to be once more referred to as extreme generation through which a gaggle of “unruly and abusive” scholars allegedly barged in and disrupted it, officers stated.
“A university student had died on August 10. But still, no action has been taken. This is a failure on the authority’s part. We want those responsible for this to be punished as per UGC anti-ragging guidelines. As for last week’s incident, in which a section of students became unruly, we condemn this. Everyone has democratic rights but not by curbing or infringing the rights of others,” stated Partha Pratim Ray, basic secretary of the Jadavpur College Academics’ Affiliation.
An interior probe committee arrange by means of the college has really useful expelling 4 college scholars, who’re a number of the 13 arrested – six stream and 7 former scholars — for his or her function within the 17-year-old’s demise.
Next the scholar’s demise, JU government applied numerous measures together with putting in CCTV cameras and shifting freshers to a fresh hostel, following UGC’s anti-ragging tips.
“Students in general should be well-manned but the extent of student’s movements depends a lot on how the authorities deal with them. The JU authority instead of being compassionate with the students is busy drawing attention and cheap publicity. They called up ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) to install CCTV cameras. They are not interested in solving the problems which include ragging,” stated Srijan Bhattacharya, shape secretary of the Scholars Federation of Bharat (SFI).
The shape’s premier instructional establishment has witnessed large-scale scholars protests between 2010 and 2015 together with towards the verdict to put in CCTV cameras at the campus.
In 2010 the nearest VC Pradip Narayan Ghosh used to be picketed for 52 hours; in 2014 Chakraborty confronted indistinguishable protests over putting in CCTV cameras and needed to step ailing in January 2015. The cameras had been dismantled in 2015.
In every other example, scholars picketed the V-C, registrar and others at the intervening night time of September 16 and 17 in 2014, tough a probe panel be i’m ready as much as examine the alleged sexual harassment of a lady pupil at the campus on August 28. The V-C referred to as the police to crack the demonstration by means of scholars. Within the resulting police baton price, many scholars had been injured and just about 3 quantity had been arrested.
“During my tenure a decade ago, I had installed CCTV cameras, flood lights were installed and production of identity cards at gates was made mandatory. But soon after I had to step down, all these were removed,” stated Abhijit Chakraborty, former VC of the college.
