Keralam to launch anonymous anti-ragging app, set up 300 scientific temper centres

Keralam is set to launch an app allowing students to report ragging through anonymous complaints while establishing 300 centres to promote scientific temper among 15 lakh young people across the state.

In Short

• Keralam to set up 300 centres promoting scientific temper for 15 lakh youth
• CM V D Satheesan to launch initiatives at Government Women's College, Thiruvananthapuram
• Draft Siddharth Anti-Ragging Act proposed to form state anti-ragging commission

Keralam will establish 300 centres to promote scientific temper among 15 lakh young people and launch a mobile application allowing students to anonymously report ragging and other campus-related concerns, the state government said on Tuesday.

Chief Minister V D Satheesan will launch the two initiatives at Government Women's College in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, as part of the government's efforts to strengthen scientific awareness and student welfare in higher education institutions.

KERALAM TO ESTABLISH 300 SCIENTIFIC TEMPER CENTRES

Satheesan will inaugurate the first sub-centre of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Scientific Temper at a function scheduled for 11.30 am, according to an official statement.

Higher Education Minister Roji M John will preside over the event, which will also be attended by Transport Minister C P John.

The scientific awareness initiative, spearheaded by the Keralam State Higher Education Council, aims to promote scientific temper, humanism and inquiry-based thinking among students and the wider public.

The programme seeks to reach 15 lakh young people through 300 centres across the state. It will also include online courses on scientific temper, handbooks and video reels.

An online course developed in association with C-DIT will also be formally launched as part of the initiative, the minister said.

WELFARE APP TO ENABLE ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS

The government will also launch the Siddharth Student Welfare App, which will provide students with a confidential platform to report ragging and other campus-related problems and seek assistance without revealing their identity.

The application will allow students to record audio complaints anonymously and alert the authorities concerned about safety-related issues, the minister said.

The app has been named after J S Sidharthan, a 20-year-old veterinary student from Nedumangad who allegedly died by suicide in February 2024 after being subjected to ragging by fellow students at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Pookode, Wayanad.

DRAFT ANTI-RAGGING LAW UNDER CONSIDERATION

A draft of the Siddharth Anti-Ragging Act is also under the government's consideration. The proposed legislation is intended to provide a legal framework for the initiative and facilitate the formation of a state anti-ragging commission, the minister said.

The government will additionally release the Student Aspiration Survey, which aims to understand the expectations and aspirations of students in the higher education sector.

John said the initiatives were part of the government's efforts to encourage scientific thinking, improve student welfare and make higher education institutions more student-friendly and progressive.

(With PTI inputs)

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