IIT KGP students protest reckless driving on campus, urges authority to take steps
Telegraph | 2 April 2025
The students of IIT Kharagpur have urged the authorities to take steps against reckless driving on the campus.
The campus’s student media body, IIT Kharagpur Awaaz, alleged in a Facebook post that a rise in the number of delivery personnel on bikes and vehicles zipping through the campus, blatantly ignoring traffic rules as if they have been given immunity from consequences, has led to chaos.
The platform has accused senior students of violating campus regulations.
Students are allowed to use bicycles on the IIT campus. However, the students alleged that senior students own and ride two-wheelers “despite campus regulations”.
“Why follow the rules when you are in power, right? After all, no action seems to be taken against them,” says the post.
The post says recent incidents on the campus underline the problem. “But who cares? Indeed, it is not the authorities, considering the lack of warnings or consequences.”
Students alleged that there have been accidents on the campus because of reckless driving.
“Recently, a student suffered multiple injuries and needed several stitches,” a student said.
“Delivery riders and ride-hailing services are a reality now. IIT Kharagpur, which has about 17,000 students, is a big market. Often, the vehicles used by the service providers tend to speed,” a student, who spoke anonymously, said.
Amit Patra, the director of IIT (BHU) and the officiating director of IIT Kharagpur, told Metro: “Something must have happened which prompted the students to post the matter on Facebook. But I have not received any formal complaint as yet.”