The state child rights protection commission on Monday showcaused Jadavpur University for flouting a Supreme Court order and UGC guidelines on ragging and causing trauma to its first-year students and compromising their safety.
The university has been asked to reply within two days why action should not be taken against it.
The Telegraph reported on Sunday that it took JU 14 years and the death of a student to shift all undergraduate first-year students to a separate hostel block — a guideline that had been issued by the UGC in 2009.
JU registrar Snehamanju Basu said they would respond after going through the notice.
The showcause notice issued to the registrar says: “The commission, therefore, calls upon you to answer specifically within 2 days of the receipt of the notice.... and also calls upon you to answer as to why actions/ proceedings may not be initiated against you for acting in violations of the UGC regulations dated 27th June 2009 and in contempt of judgment passed by the Supreme Court in civil appeal no: 887 of 2009 (University of Kerala vs Council, Principals’ Colleges, Kerala and Ors).”
The points in response to which response has been sought are:
Sudeshna Roy, the chairperson of the commission who signed the notice, told Metro: “We have given the university time till Thursday for sending their response. Then we will decide on the next course of action.”
The notice of the commission says a team from the commission went to the main hostel and spoke to the superintendent of the hostel.
“He was not allowed to go upstairs by the boys and (told) that he would be blamed of theft if he went upstairs. He was always kept under threatening circumstances,” says the notice.
“The university in its response must clarify why the situation was like this in the main hostel,” said Roy.
Registrar Snehamanju Basu said: “I will send a response after discussing with the pro-VC.”
NHRC
The National Human Rights Commission on Monday issued a press release and said it had sought a report from the state chief secretary on the incident within four weeks citing details of the reason for the alleged failure of the institution to take adequate steps to prevent ragging in accordance with the UGC regulations and steps taken or proposed to punish the perpetrators.