Special Correspondent
Panaji
Goa University has ordered an internal inquiry with regard to an incident wherein male students of the university were allegedly made to parade in their underwear during a cultural fest ‘Frolic’ on the varsity campus.
Sources in the university said the matter will also be placed before the Goa University Executive Council for its review. The internal inquiry report is expected by July 14 and it will decide on the disciplinary proceedings.
Sources said the undignified parade was a part of the ‘Third Degree’ programme, and was ‘necessary’ to decide its winner. They said the judges of the programme had asked the participants to perform some bold task.
Parents of many female students had registered complaints with the university about the incident, which had taken place in February, earlier this year. However, these parents later alleged that Goa University administration did not consider their complaints with due seriousness.
National Students Union of India (NSUI), Goa, has stated that Goa University is always under controversy and facing allegations.
Stating that it had asked the government to stop such shameful events taking place in the GU campus, the NSUI, Goa, demanded that a Task Force should be formed under the director of higher education to probe all controversies such as paper leakage, drop in GU’s National Institutional Ranking Framework ranking and ‘Frolic’ incident.
Meanwhile, the incident has sparked widespread criticism in all quarters of the society.
Leader of Opposition, Yuri Alemao, reacting to the incident, said that it is a stark reflection of the deteriorating environment at Goa University, which is also evident in its dropped ranking.
“This issue demands serious attention, especially considering other incidents of misconduct on the GU campus,” he said, urging the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and take concrete steps to prevent such incidents in the future.
“Furthermore, the decline in university ranking seems to be indicative of deeper systemic issues, where the administration’s priorities may be misaligned with the university’s core values,” Alemao said, hoping that the investigation will also shed light on the administrative functioning and help restore the institution’s integrity.
