Dharamsala College Student’s Death: UGC, State Teams Begin Parallel Probes

Two separate inquiry teams constituted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Himachal Pradesh Education Department have begun parallel investigations into the death of a young Dalit girl, a student of Government College, Dharamsala, following serious allegations of prolonged ragging and physical, sexual and mental harassment.

A five-member UGC committee, headed by Professor Raj Kumar Mittal, UGC Member and former Vice-Chancellor of Chaudhary Bansi Lal University, Bhiwani, initiated its inquiry by interacting with college authorities and students to ascertain the facts surrounding the incident.

Other members of the UGC panel include Professor Sushma Yadav, former UGC member; Dr Neerja Gupta, Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat University, Ahmedabad; Professor P Prakash Babu, Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University; and Dr Sunita Siwach, Joint Secretary, UGC.

During its visit, the UGC team held detailed discussions with college Principal Rakesh Pathania and reviewed the functioning of the institution’s anti-ragging mechanisms, internal grievance redressal system, student support structures and campus security arrangements.

The committee is expected to remain in Dharamsala for at least three days, during which it will interact extensively with students, teaching and non-teaching staff and administrative officials. The panel may also meet police officers associated with the criminal investigation currently underway.

The primary objective of the UGC inquiry is to assess whether the college administration adhered to UGC regulations on student safety, prevention of ragging and redressal of sexual harassment complaints. The UGC had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and directed the committee to submit a detailed report with findings and recommendations within seven days of completing the inquiry. The aim is to fix accountability and suggest corrective measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents in higher educational institutions.

State-Level Probe Underway

Simultaneously, a separate inquiry team constituted by the State Education Department, led by Additional Director (Colleges) Harish Kumar and comprising three college principals, also visited the campus. The state panel interacted with the principal, faculty members and students, recorded statements and examined documents related to the case.

Sources said the state team also held discussions with local police officials to review the progress of the criminal investigation into allegations of ragging and harassment.

Earlier, the state government had placed Associate Professor Ashok Kumar under suspension after his name surfaced in connection with the allegations. Officials said further departmental or legal action would be considered based on the findings of the ongoing inquiries.

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