Zero tolerance for ragging at DU

July 21, 2014 09:39 am | Updated April 22, 2016 01:56 am IST - NEW DELHI:

Breaking the ice with seniors by dancing or singing or doing anything that can be termed as “ragging” is no longer “cool” and it is now a criminal offence.

The Delhi University, embroiled in controversy after controversy this summer, would finally be opening its gates on Monday with a zero tolerance approach towards ragging. No outsiders will be allowed into colleges, which will have to display prominently the rules regarding ragging and also form their own anti-ragging squads. There will be plainclothes police personnel among students both inside and outside colleges.

“Suspension or expulsion or cancellation of degree is the punishment for ragging. Students have already submitted an affidavit at the time of admission stating that they will be liable for one of these things if caught ragging,” say the guidelines.

There will be police pickets outside every college with special assistance being provided to women’s colleges. Although preventive or punitive measures will be taken by the principals, defacing of college walls by political parties will warrant direct action by the police, if found necessary. Police assistance will also be sought against raggers if the college authorities feel so.

Regular surprise visits will be conducted at hostels and even eating joints will be kept under vigil, while electronic surveillance will be carried out at “sensitive areas”. The Delhi Police will also be monitoring traffic and can barricade any part of the university campus. Students have been advised to use public transport.

There will also be mobile patrolling and police vehicles will move around the place to take speedy action in case of any untoward incidents. The university has set up two joint control rooms. The North Campus control room can be reached at 27667221 and the South Campus control room at 24119832. These will start operating from Tuesday, a day before colleges officially open on Wednesday.

There are also other ways to report ragging. A written complaint can be dropped in the college; students can call the national anti-ragging helpline that will function round the clock at 1800-180-5522, or can contact the nearest PCR van by dialling 100. The information centre at the university can be accessed at 155215 or 27006900 from Monday to Friday or an e-mail can be sent to proctor@du.ac.in or infocentre@du.ac.in

Interview notice for ad-hoc teachers creates panic

A letter sent out by the Delhi University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor to colleges asking them to hold interviews for all ad-hoc positions on Saturday and on Monday has created panic in the university. The fate of 4,500 teachers already hired on an ad-hoc basis in the past year hangs in the balance while new applicants will also find it difficult to appear for more than one interview.

“How over 4,500 candidates who have been working on ad-hoc basis and another unknown number who are not are supposed to appear for simultaneous interviews in 70-plus colleges with roughly 10 boards each (all chaired by Principal/Vice Principal) on just two days defies the imagination,” said Vijya Venkatraman, member of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association who took part in a protest on Saturday on this issue.

“This cavalier “firman” issued from the Vice Regal Lodge is consistent with the feudal manner in which the administration forced the illegal FYUP on the University. It shows their complete indifference to academic processes and their callousness about the plight of the teachers they have kept as ad-hoc for four years against all rules in order to exploit them and use them to implement their illegal programmes,” said DUTA president Nandita Narain.

The DUTA alleged that the university was not showing transparency in appointment of teachers.

“We are shocked to note that the Vice-Chancellor also denied 12 elected members the right to move a resolution to ensure the rejoining of all ad-hoc teachers and payment of their summer salaries…. The administration is continuing with the mechanism of creating uncertainty for our young teachers, whose posts were created by the University itself by keeping permanent appointments suspended for years,” said DUTA secretary Harish Khanna.

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