Ragging Allegations Surface At Rayalaseema University

Allegations of ragging by senior students have surfaced at Rayalaseema University in Kurnool after the parents of a first-year student staged a protest at the university gate late on Tuesday night.

S. Ilyas, a first-year M. Sc. Biotechnology student, had allegedly been harassed by senior students from the Botany and Zoology departments over the past week. He went through mental distress before informing his parents over phone about his trauma.

Concerned, Ilyas’ parents rushed to the university and staged a protest near the main gate. Security personnel reportedly persuaded them to return and meet the university authorities during college hours on Wednesday.

University registrar B. Vijay Kumar maintained that the incident could not be termed ragging. He described it as an interaction between senior and junior students. “No student has lodged a formal complaint with us. We too have not filed any complaint with the police,” he explained.

The registrar subsequently acknowledged that another student, Praveen, a second-year student, had approached the university authorities with similar allegations after the issue involving Ilyas came to light.

Vijay Kumar initially denied that parents of Ilyas had visited the university. However, he later observed that the parents had come to meet their son.

Following these developments, university administration called the Kurnool Rural Taluk police personnel to the campus and organised a counselling session for students.

The session brought other student grievances to the fore. Another Biotechnology student complained about poor hostel facilities and unsatisfactory food menu. He charged that the university management had failed to address basic requirements.

"Neither the hostel facilities nor the food menu is satisfactory. The university management does not seem to be bothered about these problems. Some students have already left the institution because they could not continue their studies here," the Biotechnology student said.

More than 1,200 students are pursuing various courses on the university campus. Issues of ragging and other complaints have raised concerns among parents about the students’ safety and effectiveness of anti-ragging measures.

N. Vidyasagar, the father of a student from Nandyal district, said the reports had caused anxiety among parents. "The moment we hear that ragging has taken place, we become anxious. We are constantly worried about what the students might do under such circumstances and whether our children are safe," he said.

The university is also facing allegations of corruption in granting permissions to B. Ed colleges.