In the wake of the tragic deaths of seven students of Assam Engineering College in a road accident in Guwahati, the state government has constituted a committee to inspect the functioning of engineering colleges and universities across the state.
On Friday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We have to work towards bringing back the strict measures in hostels. This strictness, of course, meant a positive change in the environment of the hostels.”
“Nowadays, the situation has changed, and teachers do not believe in controlling students with firm rules. Due to this, the regulations among the boarders in college and university hostels have been diluted. Students do not maintain the in-and-out timings of the hostels. It is a cause of concern for all,” he added.
Sarma also said that in a section of college and university hostels, some of the passouts students are residing, and this has been causing disruption in the learning environment.
He noted that the committee constituted under the chairmanship of former Dibrugarh University Vice-Chancellor Alokesh Burahohain will look into these aspects and submit a report to bring about the necessary amendments.
Earlier, on May 29 at midnight, seven students of the Assam Engineering College died in a tragic accident where a Scorpio car carrying the students broke the divider in the Jalukbri area of the city and rammed into another vehicle coming from the opposite side.
The incident left another six people critically injured, including three students of the engineering college. All of them are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.
According to the initial investigation, the vehicle carrying the students was moving at a high speed, and this might be the reason behind the accident.
All the deceased and injured students were boarders at the Assam Engineering College hostel. Following the incident, questions were raised about how the students were allowed to roam free at midnight in the city after the closing time for entry into the hostels.
The state government has ordered a probe into the matter, and the warden of the concerned hostel and principal of the college were sent on forced leave for an impartial probe.
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