Written In February

The English Press Club (EPC) sat down with the Chief Warden (CW), Prof. Navin Singh, to discuss the Institute’s policy regarding incidents of ragging on campus. The following is an excerpt from the interview, slightly edited for flow and clarity.

EPC: What is the Institute’s official policy regarding the issue of ragging on campus?

CW: The Institute follows the official University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines as enshrined in the UGC Act of 1956. These rules are iron-clad and the Institute does not have a separate set of guidelines. The structure created by the Institute is also in compliance with the Supreme Court verdict (of 2009), on ragging. The detailed documents that are used to implement the suggested model to combat ragging are available on the Student Welfare Division (SWD) website. The Institute has always implemented these guidelines strictly and has harboured a zero-tolerance policy towards ragging on campus.

EPC: What is the structure of the anti-ragging mechanism that has been implemented on campus?

CW: The Anti-Ragging Squad (ARS) operates on two levels—comprising the Warden, the Superintendent, and certain student members at the hostel level, and the Associate Dean of the SWD, the Chief Warden, two members of the faculty, members of the local police, and a regional NGO at the Institute level. We also work in collaboration with the official district-level Anti-Ragging Committee which includes certain members of the judiciary.

EPC: According to the Institute, what is the procedure that should be followed to register a complaint?

CW: First, a relationship of trust and faith between the students and the Institute needs to be established. Students need to believe that they can approach the members of the faculty and administration whenever they wish to register such a complaint. There should not be any communication gap between the two entities.

That being said, the correct pathway that should be followed is that a complaint should be registered with the Warden, from where it would reach the office of the Chief Warden to be taken up to a higher level. Despite this procedure in place, should students feel the need, they can bypass the stops and directly approach the offices of the Chief Warden or the Associate Dean without any hesitation.

There have been instances where students have approached their own seniors instead of approaching members of the Administration. This may lead to further complications due to inappropriate advice from senior students. It is strongly recommended that the student directly approach the Administration for a swift redressal.

EPC: What steps does the Institute take when any incident of ragging is brought to light?

CW: A complaint can be registered in various ways; the Institute treats them with equal seriousness as long as it is objective and carries credible evidence. A student can even send an anonymous mail to members of the ARS and his/her name shall not be disclosed during any of the proceedings.

In the recent incident involving ragging, the Institute acted swiftly and appropriate action was taken as dictated by the UGC guidelines. Further communication on this incident shall be made from the Institute’s side.

EPC: According to you, are there any steps that students, especially freshers, can take to stay safe? 

CW: Firstly, the students must feel free to communicate to the Institute via appropriate channels. There should be a greater involvement of students to address issues of their own welfare, beyond the realm of academics. BITSians should be more proactive and forthcoming in sharing information with the Institute. This can create a better atmosphere on campus for the students. In conclusion, I am sure that with greater coordination between the students and the Institute, we can create a safer and more secure atmosphere for all of us.