The anti-ragging committee of Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Sindri has expelled two final-year students from their hostel over their alleged inappropriate behaviour with junior students, director of the institution Dr Pankaj Rai said on Wednesday.

A member of the anti-ragging committee said that the incident happened on April 30 night when a six-member team of second-year students, who were working on an ISRO competition project, were going to a lab in casual dress from their hostel.

Movement of students on the campus after 11 pm is prohibited in BIT Sindri.

The junior students had also not taken prior permission from the hostel in-charge and campus security authorities to go to the lab at night, he said.

Finding them near the hostel of final-year students, two of its boarders had questioned them on why they were not in proper dress.

“Later, only two students who were in lab dress were allowed to the lab, while four others were sent back to their hostel following a heated argument,” the member said.

The aggrieved junior students complained to the University Grant Commission (UGC) and on its directive, the institute’s anti-ragging committee held a meeting on May 5 and decided to expel two final-year students from the hostel after finding them guilty prima facie.

Taking cognisance of the increasing stress levels among students and many taking extreme steps, UGC had recently issued a notification to all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to form a district-level anti-ragging committee. 

“District Collector/ Deputy Commissioner/ District Magistrate must be the head of the committee. The heads of the university or college, the superintendent of police or the SSP of the district must be members. The additional district magistrate will be the member secretary. The committee must have representatives of the local media, district-level NGO, student organisations, local police, local administration and the institutional authorities to ensure vigil on incidents that may come within the definition of ragging,” stated the letter addressed to the chief secretary of all states.

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