Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences would hold counselling sessions for its students before resuming classes on May 30.
The counselling session would be held for the MBBS first-, second- and third-year students to ensure there is no repeat of their clash with institute employees. The institution had been closed sine die since May 8 when some students had a clash with a hospital employee. Both parties were injured in the clash and the college administration asked the students to vacate their hostels within 24 hours.
Principal Uday Kumar told The Telegraph: “We would try to build a cordial relationship between the college employees and the students. The hospital at IGIMS has been running for many years, while the college is new. The hospital employees have not been able to connect with the students. We will hold counselling sessions for the students and their parents on May 30. We would try to make them understand that they need to save the college’s integrity and engaging in clashes would only earn the college a bad name. From the parents, we would also try to understand the behaviour of the students at home. If the parents tell us about any behavioural problem in their wards, we would counsel the student further.”
The college administration sent letters to the guardians on Wednesday, informing them about the counselling.
Sources said the college has also decided to get the students to sign a bond in which they would pledge to not repeat such an act. If they do, the college administration can take any decision.
Third-year IGIMS student Rajeev Ranjan, also the vice-president of Indian Medical Students’ Association (Bihar and Jharkhand chapter), called it a dictating move. “Why do we need to sign a bond? Anybody would beat us and the college administration wants us to be mute spectators. It is not right.”
A senior teacher said: “I don’t support the decision of asking the students to sign a bond. Forcing the students to do so, the college administration would not be able to gain their sympathy and calm them down. The counselling session is a good initiative though.”
