UGC pulls up Jadavpur varsity over report into first-year student's death

The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Thursday pulled up Jadavpur University (JU) for submitting a "generic" report on the death of a first-year student last week, saying the report lacked "specific details" on the steps taken by the varsity to curb cases of harassment and ragging, said a senior official of the body.

- Saptarshi Das

UGC's remarks came even as the West Bengal government formed a four-member committee and sought a report, in two weeks, into the alleged administrative lapses connected with the incident. The death of the 18-year-old student has sparked allegations that he was brutally ragged by seniors in the university hostel. "UGC has written a second letter to JU since the first response was generic and did not carry any specific details on the preventive measures taken to eliminate incidents of ragging," a senior UGC official said. HT has not seen the letter. "We have asked JU to inform us if UGC rules on curbing the menace of ragging in higher educational institutions are implemented in the university," the official added. The official quoted above said that the letter to JU is also meant to send a message to other colleges to "prioritise the eradication of ragging" from their premises. "UGC's follow-up with JU is