Authorities of North Bengal University (NBU) and North Bengal Medical College & Hospital (NBMCH) have decided not to stand by students if they break the hostel rules and get involved in unlawful activities.
In NBU, around 1,200 students stay in 11 hostels. In NBMCH, over 1,000 students stay as boarders in six hostels.
Located in the northwest outskirts of Siliguri, NBU and NBMCH are the oldest varsity and the oldest medical college in north Bengal. The institutes have passed stern messages to boarders, said sources, following last month’s incident in Jadavpur University when a first-year student died in the hostel under mysterious circumstances.
“It is not possible to keep every student under individual surveillance. For that reason, rules of conduct have been made by the hostel superintendents and higher authorities of these institutions. The authorities have clearly said they will not back any student if he breaks the law,” said a source.
“Action will be taken according to law if a student is caught in any wrongdoing. Allegedly, a section of boarders swarm in bars, dance clubs, discotheques and similar places of the city in the evening hours and return late to their hostels,” the source said.
A senior faculty member of NBMCH said there were reports about such students also getting involved in brawls in such places.
“Intoxicated students, some of whom are even minors, have been rescued from bars in the city by seniors. On a number of occasions, they have been intercepted by the police and later released. It is a gross violation of hostel rules and such students should face legal consequences. We will not take any responsibility. The decision has been communicated to them and their parents,” he said.
Rathin Banerjee, the vice-chancellor of NBU, spoke along similar lines.
“The varsity will not take responsibility if a student breaks the rules,” Banerjee said.
NBU has also increased the number of anti-ragging squads from one to three, said a source.
“There was only one such squad at NBU before the Jadavpur University incident. Recently, two more anti-ragging squads have been constituted. The university campus has its own security personnel,” the source said. "If a student commits a crime, he will have to handle the situation on his own."
Registrar resigns
Nupur Das, the NBU registrar, resigned from her post on Thursday.
Sources said that Om Prakash Mishra, a former vice-chancellor of NBU, had appointed Das as the officiating registrar on March 21. “I have resigned from the post for personal reasons,” said Das.
