40 medical students of Kalyani JNM expelled over ragging charges

Forty students from the state-run College of Medicine and JNM Hospital in Kalyani, West Bengal, have been expelled for six months following serious allegations of threatening fellow students. The decision was made on Thursday during a meeting of the Extended College Council, as per an official document. The disciplinary action is based on substantial prima facie evidence, including depositions by individual students and digital evidence.

The expulsion prohibits the students from entering the hostel and hospital, though they are allowed to attend college solely to take examinations. Further investigations into the allegations will be conducted by the Anti-Ragging Committee, the Internal Complaint Committee, or any special inquiry committee, according to the minutes of the meeting.

Additionally, the Students' Welfare Committee has been dissolved until a democratically-elected student body is formed. The document stated that none of the 40 expelled students would be allowed to contest in the upcoming student elections. The administration emphasized that the "prevailing threat culture" in the institution must cease and should never occur again.

The expulsions follow the West Bengal government’s issuance of safety directives aimed at improving security in healthcare facilities. These directives, announced earlier on Thursday, focus on ensuring safety, and providing essential facilities like on-duty rooms, washrooms, CCTVs, and drinking water at hospitals and colleges across the state.

The state’s new safety measures came after a prolonged agitation by junior doctors concerned about their security. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant issued a two-page communication to Principal Secretary (Health) NS Nigam, urging for the immediate implementation of these directives to improve the overall healthcare environment.