Kolkata, Aug 20 (IANS): The death of a fresher in Kolkata’s iconic Jadavpur University (JU) on August 10 allegedly due to ragging is not just unfortunate but also a major cause of concern, said the union minister of education, skill development and entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan here on Sunday.

“I had a detailed discussion with the University Grants Commission on the matter. We have to see whether the anti-ragging guidelines set by the UGC were in place in Jadavpur University or not? I am also in touch with my party functionaries in West Bengal regularly,” Pradhan told media persons this afternoon.

Stating that no senior student has the right to harm a junior student in the name of ragging, the Union education minister said that the death of the fresher at JU is a real shock for his family members.

“The students can never have the right to ragging,” said Pradhan.

On Saturday only, the JU authorities forwarded its second- round of clarifications to the UGC relating to the alleged ragging- related death of a fresher of the university on August 10.

Earlier in the week, the JU authorities had sent its first round of clarifications to UGC on actions taken by the university to prevent ragging and harassment of the fresher or first- year students within the university campus and students; hostels.

However, dissatisfied with that first- round clarification on August 17, the commission had sought further clarifications on 12 specific points, the reply to which had been sent by the JU authorities on Saturday. The clarifications on 12 separate queries from UGC had been sent though 31 files on this count, said the university registrar Snehomonju Basu.