The state commission for protection of child rights "is extremely unhappy" with Jadavpur University's reply to the show-cause notice sent by the commission following the death of a 17-year-old student at the main hostel and feels that the response reflects "gross insincerity of the university administration".
The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) expressed its stand on JU's reply in a statement issued on Thursday.
"WBCPCR is extremely unhappy with the reply sent by the registrar of Jadavpur University to the show-cause notice sent by the Commission regarding the recent incident of the death of the minor student in the main boys' hostel of the university," the commission's statement reads.
"The commission feels that this response reflects the gross insincerity of the university administration where they have tried to shrug off all responsibilities of the said incident instead of accepting and acknowledging their failure and failing to chart out a road map towards systemic reforms in order to eradicate ragging and other malpractices from the university campus," the statement says.
The commission has said it is "deeply disappointed in the hatchet job that the university authorities seem to be doing in order to cover up their incompetence and lack of intent in resolving the problem".
The first-year student was allegedly ragged and thrown from a second-floor balcony of JU Main Hostel on the night of August 9. He died at a hospital hours later.
The commission had show-caused JU on Monday for allegedly flouting a Supreme Court order and UGC guidelines on ragging and causing trauma to first-year students and compromising their safety. The university was asked to reply within two days.
The JU registrar sent the reply to the commission on Wednesday.
The university has said in its reply: "It is true that the number of applicants for the hostel boardership is more than the number of hostel seats available in the Jadavpur University hostel. However, there is no separate hostel for junior students yet. Junior students are accommodated with the senior students in the same hostel."
JU has also mentioned that all first-year students were shifted from the main hostel to New Boys Hostel after the death of the first-year student.
The report says the university has taken care of the mental health problems of the freshers triggered by the death.
The university has said they maintain registers to record the entry of outsiders into hostels and their exit, under the supervision of watch and ward personnel, and that the hostel superintendents have the authority to "inspect the rooms of the hostel and communicate with the students".
The report also says there are sufficient lights around hostel buildings, though a few might be malfunctioning when the first-year student fell to his death.
JU has a functional anti-ragging committee, the university has said.
On Thursday, the university announced they have decided to install CCTV cameras on the campus and entry/exit points of the hostels.
"There have to be CCTV cameras at strategic points. The measure will be inadequate if cameras are not installed at strategic points. Besides, installation of the cameras is only the first step. There has to be a security system in place to see that the cameras are functioning and monitored," said Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborti, adviser to the commission.
The university has also said that anyone entering the hostels between 8pm and 7am has to show valid identity documents and their details will be recorded in a register.
"Why was the register not maintained for so many years? Is it a decorative item? What is the point of having a register which is not maintained?" said Sudeshna Roy, chairperson of the commission.
