On Monday morning, Delhi University will be opening its gates to around 58,000 fresh-faced and nervous teenagers, all with their own ideas of what the next three years will be like.
However, if you are among those or have an acquaintance or loved one going to college with a certain dread that they will meet the same fate of the ragging horror stories that the newspapers have aplenty, or have steeled yourself to face humiliation before making “friends” – then may it be known that there is nothing to fear as the university has, besides making the usual promises, taken some concrete steps to prevent “any” sort of ragging.
During the initial months, disciplinary squads will be deployed in every college and most eating joints on the university campuses will be monitored closely. Hostels will have regular and unannounced inspections to see if any ragging is taking place and to detect any unauthorised stay. Police pickets will be placed outside every college with special assistance to be provided to women’s colleges. There will be heavy police presence in the university and especially in sensitive areas where gates and barricades will be the norm. Mobile police vans will also be doing the rounds to prevent any ragging around the colleges.
Everybody wants to make friends on their first day of college. However, do not be hurt if the amazingly fit girl who sat behind you during the orientation session does not want to share your lunch - she might just be a cop in plain clothes out to catch mean seniors who want to rag you. Another university measure is having woman cops from the Delhi police pretend to be students and move around in college to trap potential raggers.
Another thing to be kept in mind is that punishment is swift for any student caught in the act of ragging. Immediate expulsion, cancellation of degree and even legal action are some of the repercussions for those ragging any hapless fresher.
However, just in case all these measures do not prevent you from being ragged, you can either – drop a written complaint in the complaint box in your college, call the 24/7 national anti-ragging helpline at 1800-180-5522, the north campus joint control room 27667221or the south campus control room at 24119832. A call to the nearest PCR van can also be made at 100 and you can also drop a direct email to the proctor.
