Taking a dim view of the harsh measures that were allegedly adopted by a section of self-financing colleges to impose discipline on campuses, Higher Education Minister R. Bindu assured stringent steps in connection with the purported suicide of a student and the subsequent protests that have broken out at the Amal Jyothi College of Engineering in Kanjirappally.
Speaking to mediapersons here on Tuesday, Dr. Bindu blamed many self-financing colleges for exerting undue pressure on students. “Unnecessary compulsions are being imposed in the name of enforcing discipline. Unfortunately, several institutions have failed to adopt a libertarian approach in tune with the changing times. Some even engage in moral policing and surveillance to this day,” she said.
Referring to allegations that college authorities seized the mobile phone of the deceased student Shraddha Satheesh, Dr. Bindu viewed the action as an encroachment upon the individual’s privacy.
She also stressed the need for introducing a students’ grievance redressal mechanism in colleges. While the provision was included in the University (Amendment) Act, which was passed by the Assembly several months ago, the legislation awaited assent by the Governor. The government would soon release a Charter of Rights to define the rights of students and other stakeholders, the Minister added.
