UGC Forms Committee to Investigate Student's Self-Immolations in Odisha

In a desperate bid for justice, a 20-year-old female student set herself ablaze outside her college in Balasore, Odisha, on July 12, sparking a massive outcry. Her tragic death has led to a nation-wide debate on the safety and security of students in educational institutions. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has now formed a four-member fact-finding committee to probe into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Key Takeaways:

• The fact-finding committee will investigate the availability and effectiveness of factors such as institutional policies, grievance redressal mechanism, anti-harassment measures adopted, and student support systems at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, Balasore.
• The committee will assess compliance with regulatory provisions and recommend preventive measures for such incidents, as stated by UGC Secretary Sudeep Singh Jain.
• The probe team will be led by Professor Raj Kumar Mittal from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, who is also a UGC member, along with Sushma Yadav, Neerja Gupta, and Ashima Mangla as members.
• The student had submitted multiple complaints against Samira Kumar Sahu, the head of the education department, accusing her of sexual harassment and threats to manipulate her academic scores.
• The student had been on a peaceful protest since July 1, demanding action against the department head, before setting herself ablaze.

Statistics:

• The student survived for approximately 60 hours at AIIMS Bhubaneswar before passing away on Monday night.
• The UGC has formed the fact-finding committee to investigate the incident.
• The committee will submit its report on the findings and recommendations to the UGC.
• The student had been fighting for justice since July 1, submitting multiple complaints against the department head.

Sources:

• The Times of India News Desk, "UGC sets up fact-finding committee to probe Odisha student's self-immolation" (no date specified)