Jadavpur student death: UGC reprimands varsity for 'generic' report, lack of measures to curb ragging

Noting that no proactive measures have been taken by the university to curb ragging on campus, the commission has told the university that it is not satisfied with the report.

A day after the varsity submitted a report on the case of a student’s death on its campus, the University Grants Commission has pulled up the Jadavpur University for sending a generic report and sought answers to some questions.

This is the second time that the higher education authority has sent the university a letter. The UGC said that the first response was generic, without specific details on what preventive measures were taken to eliminate incidents of ragging. In the second letter, the UGC asked JU whether the provisions of the UGC regulations on curbing the menace of ragging in higher educational institutions, 2009, have been implemented in the university. A response from the varsity is awaited.

UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said that the UGC’s follow-up to JU is meant to send a strong message. “It is important for institutions to know that they are accountable for their anti-ragging efforts and they need to uphold student welfare and well-being as their top priority. UGC is clear that universities and colleges across the nation must prioritise the eradication of ragging and take concrete actions towards achieving this goal,” Kumar told DH.

The death of a first-year student, a 19-year-old boy named Swapnadip Kundu who died after falling from the second floor of the university’s main hostel, led to reports that the student’s death was a case of ragging. The state police have arrested over 9 people, including 6 former students.

Following the incident, the anti-ragging committee of Jadavpur University submitted its report to the UGC earlier this week, and the UGC had called the preliminary report “satisfactory”, calling off its visit to the campus. The extended reports, however, have led the UGC to ask the varsity to furnish more details.