LUCKNOW, June 19 -- In a move following directives from the Jan Bhavan, Lucknow University (LU) on Thursday announced a comprehensive preventive action plan to curb religious conversion activities on the campus. The initiative aims to safeguard the security, dignity and mental freedom of its vast student strength, which includes over 16,000 campus enrollees and 556 affiliated colleges. In a letter, the Jan Bhawan directed the university to safeguard students' security, dignity and mental freedom, and to prevent any activity that influences, pressures or lures students into religious conversion, shared LU registrar Bhavna Mishra. LU spokesperson Mukul Srivastava said: "The nodal officers have been named in compliance with the directives of the governor and chancellor of state universities Anandiben Patel." As part of the initiative, the university has appointed senior faculty members as nodal officers with different tasks. They are - Prof Kusum Yadav of bio-chemistry department, dean (student welfare), Prof Archana Verma of sociology department, chief proctor, Prof Sheela Mishra of statistics department and director, Legal Cell. While the university will continue keeping vigil over students for any kind of practices related to religious conversion, students will be able to reach out to the officers through various means. The university will conduct workshops and sessions on the issue while also activating an anti-ragging cell and student welfare cell; the university will also set up sensitive counselling cells for students to share related concerns. Prof Kusum Yadav will be the nodal officer to include awareness on the issue in sessions and inform girl students. Prof Sheela Mishra will be nodal officer to organise special lectures and discussions to build ethical values, logical thinking and awareness on legal rights among students, with focus on preventing any kind of exploitation or luring....