2 students sent to social service

The Telangana High Court directed two first-year BTech students from the National Institute of Technology, Warangal, caught for consuming ganja on the campus, to do social service activity for a period of two months.

They are to work on weekends at Sri Ramakrishna Seva Samiti, Circuit House Road, Hanamkonda, and during lunch time take part in narayana seva — feeding the poor — so that they are exposed to the realities of life and understand how privileged they are.

Justice Tadakamalla Vinod Kumar was dealing with two petitions filed by the students, challenging the NIT order, which suspended them for a academic year for consuming ganja in the hostel and imposed a `1 lakh fine.

One of the petitioners apologised and expressed his repentance. The petitioner approached the court saying that their lives would be jeopardised if the suspension was implemented.

The NIT said discipline was to be maintained in the institution. It told the court that another two students were expelled for supplying ganja.

Justice Kumar opined that though such acts don’t need to be commended, balance has to be struck between the act and the punishment.

The court commented that the students who are at a tender age, with newfound freedom and independence after school, admitted to a premier institute, would find themselves in a different space altogether. The sudden freedom and various distractions make them vulnerable to experiments and these cannot be seen as wilful wrongdoing.

Adopting a reformative rather than retributive approach, Justice Kumar argued that the student petitioners are still teenagers and if they are moulded right, would go on to become skilled professionals for the benefit of society. Kumar, cut down the punishment of suspension for one academic year to the end of the semester.

The court did not permit the students to live in the NIT hostel and directed them to undergo a THC (Tetra Hydro Cannabinol) test on a fortnightly basis till the end of academic session 2019-2020.