Odisha student self-immolation: UGC constitute fact finding committee to investigate and prevent future tragedies

The University Grants Commission has constituted a four-member fact-finding committee to investigate and prevent future tragedies following the tragic incident of a student's self-immolation allegedly due to harassment at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College.

 

The four-member committee will be chaired by Professor Raj Kumar Mittal, a professor at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and a UGC member. Other members include Prof. Sushma Yadav, former UGC Commission Member, Dr. Neerja Gupta, Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat University, and Dr. Ashima Mangla, Joint Secretary at UGC, who will serve as the coordinating officer.

 

The committee’s terms of reference include examining the policies and grievance redressal mechanisms of the institution, its compliance with UGC’s anti-sexual harassment guidelines, and the support systems available to students in distress. It will also assess how well these policies are being implemented on the ground and seek suggestions from students, teachers, and staff to build a safer academic environment.

 

The UGC has requested that the committee submit a detailed report with findings and recommendations within seven days.

 

The incident has left many deeply shaken, bringing to the surface painful questions about the mental well-being and safety of students, especially young women who leave home trusting their campuses to protect and nurture them. Moved by the anguish and outrage echoed in media reports, the UGC has stepped in to find out what went wrong and, more importantly, to ensure that no other student would suffer a similar fate.

 

The 20-year-old Odisha college student who set herself ablaze over an alleged sexual harassment by a professor died, triggering nationwide outrage. The second-year Integrated B.Ed student in Balasore set herself ablaze shortly after coming out of the principal's chamber.

 

The student who suffered 95 per cent burns was first admitted to the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital and then shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment.

 

She was declared dead hours after President Droupadi Murmu visited her at the hospital's burn unit.

 

The father of the deceased held members of her college's Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) solely responsible for his daughter's death, accusing them of preparing a biased report in connection with her allegation, which led her to set herself on fire on the campus on July 12.

India