Following Anna University Ordeal, TN Govt Restricts Outsider Entry In Campuses

Persons, besides students and staff, will not be allowed within the campus without prior permission from the authorities concerned

Chennai:In the aftermath of the rape of a student inside the Anna University campus, the Higher Education Department of the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday restricted the entry of outsiders into college and university campuses.

A second-year engineering student at Anna University in Chennai was allegedly sexually assaulted and her boyfriend was beaten and chased away by two persons on the campus on December 23.

Minister of Higher Education Govi Chezhiaan, Secretary of Higher Education K Gopal, Director of Technical Education Abraham held a meeting with the university registrars across the state to discuss the security measures to be taken in universities and colleges.

Briefing the decisions of the meeting, Higher Education Secretary Gopal said the movement of outsiders, including electricians, canteen, contract, and construction workers, on campuses should be reported and documented daily, and a strong system, such as biometric identification, should be installed to regulate their entry.

He added that persons, besides students and staff, must not be allowed within the campus without prior permission from the authorities concerned. Institutions must avoid multiple exits and entrances, and make identity cards mandatory.

Higher Education Secretary said that institutions have been told to convene regular meetings with police and advise students on contemporary issues, have a counselling system in place (online and offline) and disseminate SOPs clearly, adding the department would monitor this closely.

Dr. Gopal said a redressal committee will include members who can handle “the sensitive problems with utmost maturity.” He added that the “highest departmental punishments should be given to defaulters.”