Authorities of Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College (JGEC) held an interaction with the first-year students and their parents on campus on Monday in a bid to prevent ragging.

“We are taking a number of initiatives to prevent ragging and other unethical practices at the hostels. Today, the first-year students were given pamphlets with helpline numbers where they could call up to voice any complaint or seek an intervention. We have also spoken with their parents and assured them that all efforts would be put in to ensure that their wards don’t face any problem here,” said Amitava Roy, the principal.

Sources at the JGEC said that the August 10 incident at Calcutta's Jadavpur University hostel when a first-year student died made them realise that more needed to be done on campus to prevent ragging.

The JGEC anti-ragging committee held a meeting on August 18 where a number of decisions were made.

“It has been decided that in case any senior student is found involved in ragging, he will face uncertainty in getting jobs, along with other legal steps. The option for a campus interview (for job placements) will not be available for the accused student," principal Roy said.

"He will also face problems in getting the police verification report. The guardians of senior students would be communicated in writing that they should alert their wards to abstain from any such act,” Roy added.

The pamphlet which has been handed over to the first-year students, carries the number of the police station, the administration, the college anti-ragging committee and some other authorities. Similar banners would also be put across the college campus.

The JGEC has 1,650 students among whom around 1,000 students stay in five hostels — four for boys and one for girls.

“To ensure digital surveillance, it has been decided to install CCTV cameras at the entrances of the four hostels (the hostel where first-year students stay already has CCTV at its entrance). If any student is found indulging in ragging or violates any other rule, he will be evicted from the hostel,” the principal added.

Parents who attended the interaction sounded satisfied. “My daughter is a fresher here. After the Jadavpur University incident we were worried. Listening to the authorities here made me feel she would be safe,” said a mother who came from Durgapur.