Jadavpur University Opens New Hostels to Prevent Ragging Incidents

Jadavpur University, a state-run institution in Kolkata, has introduced two new hostels on its main campus to accommodate first-year undergraduate students, an official announced on Thursday.

This move comes nearly a year after a first-year student died allegedly due to ragging. The first of these hostels, which has 70 beds, is already operational, while the second, with 50 beds, will open soon.

Last August, a Bengali undergraduate student fell from the men's hostel balcony after enduring hours of alleged ragging, which reportedly included sexual abuse. Thirteen individuals were arrested in relation to the incident. To prevent such tragedies, university officials decided to create dedicated accommodation for first-year students, while second and third-year students will now reside in an off-campus men's hostel.

(With inputs from agencies.)