Bhubaneswar, Nov. 20: The directorate of higher education has directed all college principals and university registrars to take steps for prevention of alcoholism on campus and initiation of de-addiction measures.

The instructions have been issued apparently with an eye to curb incidents of ragging in higher education institutions.

“Students, who get drunk, not only harm themselves but also those around them. So, there is a correlation between drinking and ragging. We have requested them to maximise their efforts to nip ragging in the bud and eliminate it from their campuses,” said state higher education director, Gangadhar Mishra.

College authorities agreed that alcohol use remains a pervasive and persistent problem on campuses.

“Ragging could be a consequence of alcoholism. But during my tenure, I have not come across any such case although I cannot deny that students here don’t drink. When people are intoxicated, they are more inclined to do violent and unnatural things. But the question of initiating de-addiction measures comes when one is really addicted to the bottle,” said professor B.C. Tripathy, vice-chancellor of Ravenshaw University, adding that many students, who have not attained the legal drinking age also indulge in such activities.

“Besides peer pressure, political parties also promote drinking during the time of students’ union elections to sway the votes in their respective candidates’ favour,” said Tripathy.

The directorate has also suggested that the institutions form anti-ragging committees and set up monitoring cells to keep vigil on ragging incidents.

It has also advised for formation of committees to study the psychological impact on aggrieved students apart from organising seminars, symposiums and workshops to sensitise students about the menace of ragging and violence against women.

“The institutions must take immediate action on receiving complaints or distress messages from victims of ragging. I hope that they will not be found wanting in their consolidated efforts to exterminate ragging,” said Mishra.

In another development, Mishra has asked authorities of all government colleges to furnish their requirement of guest faculty and laboratory equipment for the financial year 2014-15. The last date for this is November 25.