New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) The anti-ragging squad is in place and woe betide those trying to rag ‘freshers’ or indulge in eve-teasing when the new academic session of Delhi University begins on Wednesday. For most students, the thrill of starting college gets washed away by the fear of getting ragged by seniors. And although it has been banned, there have been stray cases of ragging on the campus and in college hostels.

Taking cue from the Supreme Court directive calling for institutions and principals to take stern action to ban ragging, the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) set up an anti-ragging squad last year, which with the help of Delhi Police, monitors college campuses at the beginning of the new academic session to prevent the dreadful ragging incidents.

Constituting student volunteers, the squad is ready to go screening college campuses and hold up anyone caught ragging this year too.

Amrita Bahari, president of DUSU, said the union has taken all steps to ensure that the new students don’t start their college life on a harrowing note.

“We are very serious about the issue of ragging and have sent out strong messages in the form of campaigns and posters in college campuses, asking students not to rag anyone,” Bahari said.

“Our anti-ragging squad, which constitutes 16 students for the north campus and 10 for the south campus, is all set to do the rounds from the beginning of the new academic session and hold up anyone caught ragging,” Bahari told IANS.

Most of the students in the squad are under-graduates, and there are some of the post-graduate level and from the Law Faculty, she said.

DUSU has also spoken to college principals and hostel wardens and put up posters in the colleges informing students about the Supreme Court directive.

Plans are afoot to also launch a helpline for new students so that they can get help if ragged and get counselling.

More than 20 colleges under DU will install CCTV cameras in the vicinity of their colleges in order to check ragging and eve-teasing. The cameras will be installed in a month’s time.

Delhi University Proctor Gurmeet Singh said earlier: “This year, more than 20 colleges will install CCTV cameras to monitor and check activities such as ragging and eve-teasing. The presence of the CCTV cameras is not going to be publicised as we want to take the offenders by surprise”.

Bahari added: “The CCTV cameras will be a big boon since they will help nab culprits. They will be installed in less than a month’s time.”