Ragging alleged at Nagpur government dental college hostel; two first-years targeted, inquiry on

A serious allegation of ragging has surfaced at the hostel of the Government Dental College in Nagpur. Senior students are said to have targeted two junior students. There is anger that the newcomers, who came to the college to study, were welcomed not with knowledge but with alleged harassment and humiliation. With barely 15 days having passed since their admission, questions are being asked about how effective the college's anti-ragging system really is.

According to the complaint, around November 2 the seniors called the two juniors to a spot, where they were allegedly abused and humiliated. The incident is said not to have ended there, and a casteist remark is also alleged. The complaint states that the juniors were then made to pick up pieces of glass from an empty liquor bottle that had been smashed.

Although a separate hostel arrangement exists for junior students, if they are being harassed in this manner, serious questions arise about the overall atmosphere in the college. These are all allegations and have yet to be verified.

On learning of the incident, the college administration held a meeting of the anti-ragging committee. An inquiry into the students concerned has begun. The parents of the complaining students have also been informed by e-mail, and Ajni police have been told of the incident. However, how much truth there is in the allegations and what exactly happened will become clear only after the inquiry is complete.

The probe also faces some difficulties. Most hostel students have gone home for the Diwali holidays, making it hard to record statements from those concerned. Sources said Dean Dr Mangesh Phadnaik is on leave, which has also affected further decisions. The inquiry report is to be submitted to the administration on Thursday, after which the committee will meet again.

Despite strict rules against ragging, if students have to endure such humiliation, this is no longer a matter of the harassment of just two students. It raises a question mark over safety at the college. All eyes are now on what the inquiry finds and what action is taken against those found guilty.