Ragging incident again in MKCG

Berhampur: Allegations of ragging surfaced again at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur at a time when it is trying to curb the menace. Junior students of 1st year MBBS, including 100 boys and 40 girls, in a complaint to the anti-ragging cell, alleged ragging by their seniors.

The juniors have mentioned names of four senior girl students who are forcing them to do their home tasks. The juniors said they are threatened that they will be harassed if they refuse to obey the orders of the seniors.

The MKCG authority is now investigating the ragging allegations. Four senior girl students, who are named by the junior students, were served notice by the MKCG to attend a meeting of the anti-ragging committee of the MKCG and respond to the allegations of ragging. The anti-ragging committee would hold a meeting to take the next course of action, said Administrative Officer Sangram Sekhar Panda.

Prof Suchitra Dash, Dean-cum-Principal of the MKCG, reiterated the institute’s zero-tolerance policy towards ragging. Prof R N Mangual, a renowned surgeon and retired professor of MKCG, said he is worried about the repeated allegations of ragging in MKCG. “There is no ragging in private medical colleges, but reported only in government medical colleges. It creates a bad name for the institute. But culprits are those who indulge in ragging. Management must take stringent action against the culprits,” Prof Mangual said.

“I am sorry that ragging still persists when the Medical Council of India (Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges/ Institutions) Regulations 2009 was promulgated 15 years ago,” he said. In October, second-year students had levelled ragging allegations against senior students in MKCG. The second-year students were subjected to ragging after first-year students shifted to a different hostel following their completion of their academic year. When these second-year students were relocated from Cabin Block to three different hostels, they allegedly faced harassment from seniors.

Rudra Raut, a second-year student at MKCG Medical College, was subjected to ragging. Action was taken against four senior students for their alleged involvement in the incident. While two fourth-year students were barred from entering the campus for two months, two others were instructed to vacate their hostel and skip classes for two weeks over the issue.