IIT BHU Forms 9-Member Committee for Drug Tests on New Students
IIT (BHU) Varanasi has formed a nine-member committee to oversee urine-based drug testing for newly admitted students. The move follows a Union Education Ministry directive, with consent procedures and implementation details yet to be announced.
The Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, has constituted a nine-member committee to oversee urine-based drug testing for newly admitted students. The initiative follows a directive from the Union Education Ministry asking higher education institutions, including IITs and IIMs, to introduce drug-testing measures.
The proposed testing will cover students entering BTech, MTech, Integrated Dual Degree and PhD programmes. The committee includes faculty members and medical professionals from IIT (BHU) and Banaras Hindu University.
Professor Rajesh Kumar, Dean of Student Welfare at IIT (BHU), will chair the panel. Other members include faculty representatives and medical professionals from the two institutions.
The committee will oversee the implementation of urine-based drug testing in line with the ministry’s directions. However, the institute has not yet detailed the testing schedule or the procedures for collecting and handling samples.
Student consent is another key issue. Reports on the ministry’s guidelines indicate that students will need to provide consent before undergoing testing. The institute’s notification, however, does not specify how consent will be obtained.
Details about the handling of positive results and any subsequent measures also remain unclear. The institute has yet to announce the total number of students who will undergo testing or the implementation timeline.
The formation of the committee marks an initial step towards carrying out the ministry’s directive. Further details are expected to clarify how the testing process will work.
