JU report to UGC unsatisfactory, govt concerned over death: Minister

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan asserted that the TMC government in West Bengal "cannot evade responsibility" for the incident

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said the report to the UGC by Jadavpur University, where a student died recently after allegedly being ragged and sexually harassed, was "not satisfactory".

He asserted that the TMC government in West Bengal "cannot evade responsibility" for the incident.

The University Grants Commission had made certain suggestions on the anti-ragging system, the minister said, adding that these include the installation of CCTV cameras, a separate cell to deal with ragging cases, and a communication facility among others.

"The University Grants Commission has sought a response from the university on what steps it has taken to implement these suggestions. The UGC has taken the matter seriously, and we have also taken it seriously. The university's report to the commission was not satisfactory," Pradhan said on the sidelines of a programme here.

There is no place for ragging in our educational institutions, he said.

A JU official said the university authorities have responded to queries "within the regulatory framework about what had been done and what could be done".

The prestigious 67-year-old university also sent an exhaustive report to the University Grants Commission on multiple queries about the alleged ragging and sexual harassment of the undergraduate student that led to his death, as directed by the statutory body.

The 17-year-old student died after falling from a second-floor balcony of the main boys' hostel on August 9. His family alleged he was a victim of ragging.