'Address Seniors As Sir, No Eye Contact’: Bizarre Rules For Freshers Trigger Heated Debate

While ragging is officially banned in all Indian colleges, instances of bullying and brute force by seniors emerge now and then from academic institutions. A notice titled ‘Code of Conduct’ with a series of severe instructions from seniors to juniors allegedly in an Indian college has gained the internet’s attention. The said rules include guidelines such as only addressing seniors as ‘sir’, avoiding eye contact and not entering the college canteen or dhabas. Moreover, it also imposes a dress code and hostel curfew for juniors. The post has sparked several reactions from social media who suggest this is a clear example of ragging. Further, the post has clocked in nearly 2 lakh views since it was shared on September 9.

Alongside the list, the social media user wrote the caption, “Code of conduct given by a senior to juniors in an Indian college. Kaise bacche kuch sekhege, ya even grow karege if this is the environment.”

Some of the bizarre instructions on the notice read, “Never approach the senior first”, “Address the senior as sir”, “Look down at the third button of the shirt when talking to the senior”, “No eye contact with the senior” and “Don’t enter the college canteen”.

Furthermore, the list mentions a phrase that students must use when asking for the names of their seniors. “May I have the single chance, double opportunity, triple pleasure and quadruple satisfaction to know the great grand, highly auspicious silver coated, golden plated, diamond sprinkled name of the highly respected senior,” it mentioned.

The post has sparked several reactions on the internet. Social media users are talking about the prevalence of ragging, and what it means for new students.

A user wrote, “People seeing something like this for the first time haven’t been to any govt engineering or medical college.”

Another commented, “This is official ragging….” “Never ever dare to have eye contact with seniors”? “never approach seniors first.”

A user jokingly wrote, “Those seniors got more titles than Daenerys Targaryen.”

A user strongly opposed such rules and wrote, “Which college is this? These types of cases happen only where people don’t retaliate, even in my college seniors tried to claim their dominance but we never allowed it. Everyone has their self-respect. It doesn’t matter if one is a fresher or a graduate student.”

While most internet users criticised such instructions, some clarified that it must have been a prank for the first-years or a fun way of breaking the ice with juniors.

“This has to be a joke, the 12th rule was made by my batch mates for our juniors too for fun,” a comment read.

One wrote, “It’s just a playful prank seniors are playing on freshers.”

What do you think of this ‘Code of Conduct’?