Goa medical college ragging not a serious issue: Minister

PANAJI - A ragging incident in Goa’s premier medical college in which six students were evicted from the hostel for disciplinary reasons is “not that serious”, Goa Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane said Sunday, adding it does not require his attention.

Interacting with the media on the sidelines of a state health ministry function at the Goa Medical College (GMC) Sunday, he dismissed queries on the ragging incident, which had made the front pages of the local newspapers for several days running last month.

“The students are already suspended from the hostel. What more action can you expect?” Rane shot back when asked if the senior students accused of ragging were let of the hook easily for their crime.

“Ragging in itself is serious but whatever has happened in Goa medical college was not that serious that I need to take any action,” Rane told the reporters.

The minister also said: “I am yet to get a detailed report on the incident, but I do not think that such an incident requires my attention”.

Six senior medical students were suspended from the GMC hostel Aug 19, after they made junior students kneel down and introduce themselves as part of the “indoctrination process” for freshers.

The management of the GMC, one of the oldest in Asia, had formed a three member committee to probe the ragging incident.

–Indo Asian News Service