Arunachal students' union demands termination of hostel warden, principal over ragging incident in sports academy

In a recent development in Arunachal Pradesh, the Students' Union has taken a strong stance against the raging incident by demanding the immediate termination of the hostel warden and principal.

This demand comes in the wake of a series of events highlighting the severity of ragging at Sangay Lhaden Sports Academy.

In a press release, the student body stated that the students were informed that the junior students had been subjected to bullying, beating and ragging by the senior students for the past many months. 

Further, the junior students had many times lodged verbal complaints to the school principal regarding the ragging and violence happening at the boy's hostel. But, every time the principal used to evade the complaint and make excuses by saying that the new warden shall be appointed and actions shall be taken. 

"For such a long period no actions were initiated nor a new warden's were appointed to look after the student's problem. Whereas, a hostel warden's room is in the vicinity of the boy's hostel. Had he been sincere and punctual towards his duty such tragic incident would have never taken place," added the release.

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Based on reports received from junior students and subsequent prima, inquiries, it has been determined that several Class X students were involved in a gross violation of the School Code of Conduct and hostel rules and regulations. 

Further, in consideration of the sanctity of the institution, the authorities of the academy have rusticated ten students from the academy and hostel until further notice.

This comes after a viral video went viral on social media claiming that an incident of ragging had taken place at the Sangay Lhaden Sports Academy. 

Along with the video, the news is also doing the round that senior boys ragged younger boys at the school premises while assaulting them. 

While responding to the claims of the viral video, Itanagar Capital Region SP, Rohit Rajbir Singh, said that the viral video is not from the Sangay Lhaden Sports Academy. Here, the SP said that a separate incident of fight among the boys did take place at the school and an enquiry has been initiated into the matter. However, he did not call it an incident of ragging. 

The issue of ragging has been a persistent problem across India, with various instances leading to severe consequences for the victims. 

For example, Dibrugarh University (DU) in Assam faced a significant incident where authorities suspended three wardens of the PNGB hostel and expelled four students for a period of three years. This action was taken after a first-semester student, Anand Sharma, jumped off the hostel building to escape physical and verbal ragging by his seniors on November 26, 2022. The victim, who suffered multiple fractures, was scheduled for a complicated spinal surgery following the incident.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is the regulatory body responsible for curbing ragging in educational institutions across India. It has established a regulatory framework to address this menace, including the "Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009." Madhya Pradesh is among the states that have enacted anti-ragging laws, reflecting the nationwide effort to tackle this issue.

The Students' Union's demand in Arunachal Pradesh echoes the actions taken by other institutions and the regulatory frameworks in place, underscoring the urgent need for strict measures to prevent ragging and protect students' well-being. 

The union's call for accountability from the hostel warden and principal signifies the importance of leadership roles in maintaining a safe and secure environment for students.