Minister seeks freshers' help to end ragging at Universities
Minister of Higher Education & Cultural Affairs, Dr Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, has sought the cooperation of freshers to end the menace of ragging.
“We can eradicate the ragging menace from universities, if freshers unite and stand up for their rights, even if they have to burst the ear drums of seniors who try to subject them to inhuman forms of ragging” said Dr Rajapakshe, addressing academic and nonacademic staff at the opening of the Faculty of Technology Complex at Bibulewela in Kamburupitiya, on Thursday.
The Faculty of Technology is the 10th Faculty at the University of Ruhuna ( UoR), built at a cost of over Rs 1,575 million. It comprises state- ofthe- art Laboratory facilities, lecture Halls, Dormitories and administrative Offices, to facilitate an annual intake of 189 students.
Referring to incidents of ragging reported at the UoR in the recent past, the Minister referred to the incident where 6 fresher Buddhist monks were stripped naked and subjected to sordid forms of ragging. “Ragging at University is a non-bailable offence and 5 senior undergraduate monks are in remand custody at the moment,” he added.
He added that student unions select freshers from low- income families and brainwash them before they enroll at the university. “A mother of a fresher admitted that some demon had entered her daughter after she was admitted to the University,” Dr Rajapaksa said.
The Minister said that, during the past 4 decades, every government in office has done much to develop the UoR. The present government has allo- cated Rs 3,600 million to the UoR, for the utmost benefit of the institution and its students, adding that the government was able to provide dormitory facilities for 36,000 more students
“I am happy to return to the UoR, as I was one of the first intake enrolled at its Faculty of Arts 40 years ago. However, as I was destined to be a Lawyer, I left the university after a week, to enroll as an external student at the Faculty of Law of the University of Colombo, where I was able to complete my Degree in just two- and- half- years, half the time an internal student would have had required,” said Dr. Rajapakshe.
“In the past 3 years, a colossal sum of Rs 64 billion has been expended on infrastructure development at all State universities,” said University Grants Commission Chairman Dr Prof Mohan de Silva. He added that, 2017 was a unique year, as 2 Medical Faculties, in Ratnapura and Kuliyapitiya, were established, increasing the intake of Medical students by 160.
“As the most important student at a university is the teacher, the present Government has done much to develop the Human Resource Systems at State universities. We expect to see the commitment of all stakeholders” he added
Dean of the Faculty of Technology Prof W. G. D. Dharmarathne proposed the vote of thanks. Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education & Cultural Affairs, J. J. Rathnasiri, UoR Deputy Vice Chancellor Dr Nayana Algiyawanna, Hostel Project Director- Ministry of Higher Education & Cultural Affairs, P. G. Jayasinghe and a large number of academic and nonacademic staff of the UoR attended the opening.