Muzaffarpur Institute of Technology (MIT) has introduced a system to clip the wings of wayward students and punish them.

Christened “court”, the system would hear the complaints and argument trials against wayward engineering students. This includes notices served on the students and their guardians about the youths’ misconduct on the campus and outside it.

Spurt in incidents of hooliganism, unethical practices and student clashes have proved to be a big headache for the tech cradle. Now, the domain of the MIT disciplinary committee has been broadened. Moreover, the students would also get a chance to plead their cases.

MIT principal Kumar Surendra told The Telegraph said: “Our institution has strengthened and refurbished the disciplinary committee and developed a court culture of the committee comprising senior teachers to keep a strict watch and rein in the nefarious designs of unruly students in particular.”

The science and technology department has taken a serious note of the growing indiscipline in the technology hub and directed the principals concerned to act tough against hooliganism.

MIT registrar B.K. Arya said: “The disciplinary committee has decided to award Black Dots on the degrees of 25 first-year students under various faculties for indulging in indiscipline and eve-teasing.”

The principal added: “The court of the committee would watch the activities of these students for the next two years. If their conduct is found satisfactory till the end of the course and they submit a petition for forgiveness, then the court would sympathetically decide to exonerate them from the charges.”

The disciplinary committee, led by principal Kumar Surendra and three others, Surendra Kumar, Sanjay Choudhary and Suresh Kumar, strongly recommended the awarding of Black Dots to unruly students for creating law and order problem.

First-year students had set ablaze the motorcycle of A.K. Nathani, a senior teacher of the mechanical faculty, on the campus in December 2013, besides indulging in eve-teasing and clashing with neighbours on flimsy grounds. Nathani had lodged an FIR against unidentified students for torching his vehicle with Barhampura police station.

MIT is surrounded by densely populated residential colonies. Women and girls in particular residing in adjoining Daudpur Kothi, Barhampura and Police Line colonies often have to bear unruly behaviour of students.

The court of disciplinary committee would provide them an opportunity to lodge complaints against such students. Residents would be asked to lodge their complaints in the MIT court before going to the police station concerned.

“Life for girls has turned hellish when they step out of their houses in Daudpur Kothi. The students not only whistle at them but also pass lewd comments,” said Rashmi Rani, a homemaker in the locality. Commending the MIT move, Anjani Kumar, another resident of the locality, said: “This is a welcome step though it comes very late.”