NHRC notices to the West Bengal Government and the Registrar, Jadavpur University, Kolkata over the reported death of a student due to ragging

Press release

National Human Rights Commission

New Delhi, 14th August, 2023

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that a first-year student of Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal became a victim of ragging, and died on 10th August 2023 after falling from the second-floor balcony of the varsity's hostel. Reportedly, the fellow students of the victim had tried to bring the matter to the notice of the Dean but unfortunately, their efforts went in vain.

The Commission has observed that the media report indicates negligence, lack of supervision and inherent failure of the college administration due to which a young student, reportedly undergoing the trauma of ragging, lost life. Therefore, the contents of the media report, if true, amount to a violation of the human rights of the student.

Accordingly, the Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal calling for a report in the matter within four weeks. It should include the reasons for the prima facie failure of the institution to take adequate steps to prevent ragging in accordance with the UGC regulation, and the steps taken or proposed to punish the perpetrators of the ragging including its abettors and sympathizers.

The report must also contain the measures being initiated by the State Government for spreading awareness about the menace of ragging amongst the Student Community and Teaching Associations throughout the State.

The Commission has also noted that the Supreme Court in the case of the University of Kerala vs Council, Principals’ Colleges, Kerala [(2009) 7 SCC 726] has held that heads of institutions/ members of the administration mandatorily be penalised for not taking timely action against ragging for failure to sensitize teaching / non-teaching staff or employees working in the hostels and messes.

Therefore, a notice has also been issued to the Director General of Police, West Bengal regarding the status of the criminal case registered against all the responsible students and teaching/ non-teaching staff of the college concerned as reported in the news report.

A further notice has been issued to the Registrar, Jadavpur University to submit a detailed report regarding the steps taken for effective implementation of the recommendations of the Raghavan Committee report, affirmed by the Supreme Court of India, to solve the problem of ragging in the University.

According to the media report, carried on 11th August 2023, the student had moved to the hostel barely two days before the incident on 7th August 2023 at the start of the academic session. Reportedly, he had called up his mother multiple times two days before he died expressing fear for his life and that he wanted to return home.

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