Chennai: A section of students from IIT Madras has alleged harassment and violation of their privacy by vigilance staff during the random checks conducted in their hostel rooms. The students alleged that during the check, the staff will barge into the hostel rooms and behave rudely with students, besides clicking pictures of their personal things.
The routine check has been conducted for years now to ensure that students do not possess any banned items including liquor, cigarettes and other items.
“Though the checks are being conducted for many years, the hostel administration has started to name and shame the students who possess the banned items. Under the hostel management rules, the students’ name should be kept anonymous while publicising the punishment for possessing any banned item,” a research scholar said.
A research scholar said that recently a student was named and shamed in public with the details like his room number and the fine imposed on him for the alleged recovery of a banned item from his dustbin. “It is clearly a violation of rules,” one student said. Another student said sometimes the checks will be bordering on moral policing.
Many students termed the random checks as a humiliating experience. “Vigilance staff will go through all our personal belongings. Though we may not have any banned items in possession, it’s a humiliating experience,” they said.
However, officials from IIT Madras said vigilance officers are the ones tasked to enforce hostel rules and check for violations. The checks were conducted by trained ex-servicemen at the hostels. While accepting that the institution has received complaints in this regard, IIT Madras said, “All grievances received have been addressed and corrective measures have been taken.”
