Juniors blame ragging while accepting money for Ganesh festival in Kurnool medical college

Ganesh festival celebration money collection from students of Kurnool Medical College (KMC), suspected by a group of first year MBBS students as a case of ragging, has raised a scare among parents and the authorities. Again, the administration of the college categorically ruled out the occurrence of any case of ragging.

When going for fine collection, some of the senior students were said to have acted violently, and harassed first year students in their hostel rooms. Could no longer take pressure anymore, some of the first year students complained to the college authorities, and thus there was general alarm.

The problem soon snowballed, and attracted the wrath of the National Medical Commission (NMC), which acted decisively. The NMC requested the college administration to submit a report on the problem in detail.

Fueling the flames further, State Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav stepped in, calling up the college principal, and requesting him to explain.

No ragging had taken place: KMC principal

He said that such incidents were bringing a bad reputation to medical institutions, and promised strict action if the complaints were proved to be true.

The Health Minister also told the principal to put forward the report of the Anti-Ragging Committee at the earliest. There would be no leniency towards any harassment or misbehavior by seniors in educational institutions, he declared.

But in a press statement issued on Saturday, Dr K Chitti Narasamma, the principal of the medical college, went flat out and stated categorically that there had been no ragging.

Referring to the results of the in-house inquiry, she said, "There is no substance to the ragging allegations. The college Anti-Ragging Committee made an in-depth inquiry, one-to-one with students, and recorded statements in writing. During the investigation, nowhere were the students in a position to establish instances of ragging."

The principal himself, however, clarified that money collection was a part of regular annual festival activity utilized to be traditionally arranged by hostel students and not on a ragging basis.

Additionally, she assured that in case any student is harassed or disturbed under the guise of Ganesh celebrations, action will be initiated.

In addition to this, alumni and students have also put forward requests for more openness, requesting that the college give preference to student welfare and make such festivals voluntary rather than based on competition between juniors and seniors or coercion