Ragging case comes to light at Navodaya school near Shimla, students flee hostel at midnight
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The Newz Radar Network
An incident of ragging has emerged from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) at Theog in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh. On the night of July 13, five junior students suffered injuries after being beaten by senior students.
According to reports, around 11 pm, five class 12 students entered the room of class 10 students in the hostel and demanded that the juniors wash their clothes. When some of the juniors refused, the seniors resorted to violence, injuring their ears, eyes and mouth. The situation escalated to the point where, at 11.24 pm, two of the junior students fled the hostel. One of them managed to contact his father from the school’s telephone booth to report the incident.
The father immediately informed a school teacher, who was on leave at the time, and subsequently notified principal Sanjita Shaunik at around 11.30 pm. Shaunik promptly intervened and stopped the assault within five minutes of receiving the call.
Surendra Singh and another parent reported that this incident of violence was precipitated by ongoing demands from the senior students for money and chores, such as washing clothes. The altercation on the night of July 13 was a culmination of these demands.
In light of this incident, serious questions are being raised about the efficacy and presence of the hostel warden and house teacher. Parents entrust their children to the care of the school management, especially in boarding schools, expecting their safety and well-being to be a top priority. The absence of immediate supervision during such a critical moment has highlighted potential lapses in the hostel’s oversight mechanisms.
The local administration has responded swiftly. The Theog Tehsildar visited the school, convened a meeting with the school management and the affected families, and directed the school to take necessary actions.
Principal Sanjita Shaunik assured that strict measures will be implemented against the guilty students and the warden. She stated that discussions are ongoing with the local administration and parents to ensure such incidents did not recur.
This incident has not only shaken the school but also brought to the forefront the critical need for stringent anti-ragging measures and effective supervision in educational institutions.
