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Journalism of Courage
The Indian Institute of Technology in Mandi (IIT-Mandi) has banned interaction between senior batches and first-year students for a whole semester and initiated disciplinary action against 72 students — including the suspension of 10 students for six months — in response to allegations of ragging during a “freshers’ mixer” held last month, The Indian Express has learnt.
While the incident reportedly occurred on August 11, IIT-Mandi Director, Professor Laxmidhar Behera, said in an email addressed to all students on August 20 that the seniors had “breached” the “laxman rekha” (crossed the line) and 72 of them were found “guilty of participating in ragging to various degrees”.
The Indian Express reached out to Professor Behera, Dean of Academics Aniruddha Chakraborty, and Dean of Student Affairs Hitesh Shrimali for their comments. While Chakraborty and Shrimali said they did not want to comment on the matter, Behera did not respond to requests for a comment.
The senior students have been handed varying degrees of punishment – a fine of Rs 15,000 and 20 hours of community service; a fine of Rs 20,000 and 40 hours of community service; a fine of Rs 25,000 and 60 hours of community service; and a six-month suspension from academics and hostel.
The 10 suspended students, including three student body office-bearers who were responsible for organising the “freshers’ mixer” and have since been stripped of their posts, have vacated their hostel rooms.
According to sources, some of the punished students have appealed to the institute for a reconsideration of the punishment. They have claimed that a prank played on new students every year during the “freshers’ mixer” was misunderstood for ragging.
IIT-Mandi took action after investigating anonymous complaints regarding the event organised by senior students on August 11. According to official emails, reviewed by The Indian Express, during the event meant to introduce the new batch to seniors, first-year students were allegedly shouted at, and some were punished by being made to stand in a corner.
During the institute’s inquiry into the complaints, the senior students had defended themselves by saying this was a prank typically played on freshers every year during the “mixer”, where they are initially intimidated only to be told later that it was a joke, but it was misunderstood this time.
Recalling the event, a first-year student told The Indian Express: “The seniors first instructed us to turn off our phones and then told us to place our hands on the table to prevent anyone from recording the event. Subsequently, an image of a middle finger appeared on the displayed slide.” Following this, the senior students allegedly started shouting at the freshers.
“They called us to the stage and raised some of the questions we had asked in a Google Form before the event started. They made some of us stand in a corner or assume a semi-squat position,” another student alleged.
“Many of us were okay, but a few of my friends were a bit traumatised by the shouting,” said another student.
The event, which also featured performances by different cultural clubs of the institute, reportedly ended abruptly after the institute security got all students to vacate the venue on grounds of overcrowding. Some senior students told The Indian Express that the abrupt end led to confusion and didn’t give them a chance to explain to the freshers that it was a prank.
Since August 14, a few days after the event, the institute has banned all interaction between first-year students and senior batches till the end of the semester.
Nine days after the event, Professor Behera, in an email addressed to all students, said: “The event started with the ragging of 1st year students – abusive languages were hurled at them, some were given physical punishment, an environment of terror was created by constant hooting from the stage as well as across the hall. The process of ragging was rehearsed a priori. Some of the first-year students were traumatised. A couple of videos surfaced although the first-year students were strictly banned from using mobile (phones). At least three elected secretaries were confirmed to be present there… Dean (of) students received an anonymous mail that seniors have indulged in ragging. The anti-ragging committee acted swiftly and found 72 students guilty of participating in ragging to various degrees. The laxman rekha was breached. We have certainly lowered our values by such acts.”
“Let me inform you all that we will strictly deal with this disgraceful behavior until they are completely wiped out. While we are with all those who are deeply affected, we will work with all students such that such an event will never be repeated on this campus… You all dreamed big. That is why you cracked JEE and you are here. You need to dream big again… I thus appeal to the entire student body to refrain from such disgraceful behavior and work for those goals that will bring glory to you, your parents and to this great nation,” he said in the email.
