The Hindu : Parents, engg. students complain of harassment by management

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 16, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Parents, engg. students complain of harassment by management

By K.Ramachandran

CHENNAI Feb. 15. Dozens of students and their parents from a self-financing engineering college in Thiruvallur district near Chennai, today appealed to the Anna University "to save them from physical and mental torture by the college management".

They complained that the college was collecting excess fee and issuing no receipt. Students were forced to pay a high "breakage charge", as a precondition for getting hall tickets for examinations. Parents complained that they were being threatened. Almost all students wanted the university to transfer them to some other college. Even if the students wanted to continue in the same college, the management "will not allow us and we fear victimisation," a first-year student told the university authorities, including the Vice- Chancellor, E. Balagurusamy.

Enquiries show that the offices of the Chancellor-Governor and the Chief Minister received several complaints from students of Deen Dayal Engineering College, Pudur Village, which was started three years ago. They related to "ill treatment, harassment of parents, extraction of high fees and false letters from students". The Government asked the university to conduct an inquiry and submit a report. As the enquiry team constituted by the university was allegedly not allowed to enter the college to ascertain the facts, the students were allowed to depose and tender written statements with evidence.

The team listed the academic lapses and recorded that the students lived in fear of ill treatment, including to girl students and parents. The management refused to receive letters from the university. As the institution did not offer "a conducive atmosphere for education", the committee report wanted harsh measures initiated, including disaffiliation from the university.

Enquiries with the Government show that the report has been sent to the Chief Minister and Chancellor, besides the Education Minister and the Higher Education Secretary.

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Parents, engg. students complain of harassment by management