Kolkata: Amidst turmoil caused by the alleged ragging-related death of a first-year student at Jadavpur University (JU), West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has reached out to ISRO chairman Somanath to explore technological solutions for curtailing ragging in university campuses.
In a press statement issued by Raj Bhavan on Thursday evening, it was mentioned that Bose had also been in touch with a Hyderabad-based firm named ADRIN to identify a technology that could effectively combat ragging.
Technology to be deployed
"They are striving to develop an appropriate technological solution using various methods such as video analytics, image matching, automatic target recognition, and remote sensing," read the press statement.
Furthermore, on Friday, while en route to Malda to meet the families of those affected by the Mizoram bridge tragedy, Bose got in touch with the interim Vice Chancellor of JU, Buddhadeb Sau, to apprise him of the latest developments.
Speaking to the media, Sau expressed his curiosity about the specific technology that would be employed to counter ragging.
"I will inquire about the technology they plan to use, whether it involves tracing outsiders, utilizing CCTV for facial recognition, or employing another method," Sau stated.
The move was welcomed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Sukanta Majumdar, who referred to the Governor as a 'Man of ideas'.
Conversely, the Jadavpur area transformed into a battlefield after a protest rally organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) was halted by the police.
ABVP National Secretary, Ankita Pawar, remarked, "The reprehensible incident of ragging at Jadavpur University in West Bengal is strongly condemned. Our campus should offer a secure environment for students, not a refuge for wrongdoers. Today, when ABVP activists were demanding justice for the deceased student, the police subjected them to severe brutality. Female students were treated poorly by male police officers. West Bengal is growing unsafe for women, while the state government focuses on arresting critics of its failures and suppressing police misconduct."
The BJP later organised a protest rally to advocate for a 'ragging-free Jadavpur University'.
