Anti-Ragging Committee

Anti-Ragging Committee

The College has a vigilant committee against instances of ragging. The Committee takes measures to repeatedly remind students of the consequences of ragging, and ensures that parents and new students are made aware of their rights. Posters and hoardings with Anti -Ragging slogans and phone number to report in case of an incident are pasted/erected at all important places in the Institution. All parents and Students are directed to give an affidavit about Anti-Ragging at the time of admission.

An Anti-Ragging Committee and an Anti-Ragging Squad have been formed in the Institution to act pro-actively to avoid untoward instances.  The Committee functions as per the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of India and UGC.

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE (2024-25)

Contact Number: 9961098937

24 X 7 ANTI RAGGING HELPLINE OF UGC

Toll Free No. : 1800 - 180 - 5522

E-mail: helpline@antiragging.in

Log on to www.antiragging.in

Anti-Ragging Laws in India

Introduction

Ragging is originally a western concept and was originally a form of social interaction between seniors and juniors in schools and colleges. However, these interactions, have taken a very brutal, inhuman and anti-social, form at times. Even some of the highly reputed colleges and institutions have a terrible history of ragging. Ragging has social, physical, political, economic, academic and physiological dimensions. Vishwa Jagriti Mission filed Public Interest Litigation for curbing ragging. Another relevant judgment passed in the year 2007 by the Hon’ble Supreme Court was in University of Kerela vs. Council Principals, Colleges Kerala & Ors,R.K Raghvan Committee post 2007 order of the Hon’ble Court had shared a detailed report to tackle the problem of ragging. The article examines what our law says about ragging.

 

A. Definition of Ragging

Under laws in India, ragging is defined as:

(i) Any disorderly conduct by either by acts or words spoken, the effect of which is teasing, treating or handling with rudeness any other student;

(ii) Any rowdy or undisciplined activity, which causes annoyance, hardship or psychological harm;

(iii) Raise fear or apprehension thereof in the minds of junior

(iv) Asking the students to do an act or perform something, which such student will not do in ordinary course, which has the effect of causing shame or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of a junior student.

B. Legislations on Ragging

Some State in India have their own legislations on ragging. Some States which do not have their own legislation on ragging and therefore the ragging laws in these States are in accordance with the central legislations on ragging.

C. Central Legislations

The central legislations, which keep check on the practice of ragging in India, are:

1. Indian Penal Code
2. UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009
3. Other institute specific regulations

D. Punishments under Indian Penal Code against acts of Ragging

Every single incident of ragging or abetting in ragging puts an obligation on the institution to get the FIR registered. There are provisions in the IPC, which can be used by a student to register an FIR in the nearest Police Station. These provisions are:

294– Obscene acts and songs
323 – punishment for voluntarily causing hurt
324 – voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon or means
325 – punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt
326 – voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon
339 – Wrongful Restraint
340 – Wrongful Confinement
341 – Punishment for Wrongful Restraint
342 – Punishment for Wrongful Confinement
506 – Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder

E. UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009

1.Scope of these Guidelines

These regulations were passed by the University Grants Commission in the year 2009 to curb the menace of ragging in the Universities in India. The best part of these regulations is that they shall apply to all the institutions including:

(i) Under the Central/provincial/state act

(ii) Deemed university under the UGC Act, 1956

(iii) All other educational institutions

The guidelines extend to all the premises, whether located in the campus or outside and also in means of transportation whether public or private. The objective of these guidelines is to ensure completely wiping and prohibiting the activities of ragging.

2.Important Regulations

Publish “Ragging is banned”: The institutions are required to publish that the ragging is totally banned in the institution and anyone found doing/abetting ragging would be suitably punished.

Brochures/Application Form/Enrolment Form: The college brochures are required to mention these guidelines in full. The prospectus would include all directions of Supreme Court/Central and State Government as applicable. The application/enrolment form for admission will have an undertaking in English and Hindi and preferably one in regional language to be signed by parent/guardian. The school-leaving certificate should reflect the behavioural pattern of the student.

Affidavit of Student: A student during the admission process has to file an affidavit along with his parents/guardian’s signature, stating that he will not be ragging other students directly or indirectly.

Anti-Ragging Committee: Every institution shall constitute a committee to be known as the Anti-Ragging Committee. To be nominated and headed by the Head of the institution, and consisting of representatives of civil and police administration, local media, Non-Government Organizations involved in youth activities, representatives of faculty members, representatives of parents, representatives of students belonging to the fresher’s category as well as senior students, non-teaching staff; and shall have a diverse mix of membership in terms of levels as well as gender. It shall be the duty of the Anti-Ragging Committee to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Regulations as well as the provisions of any law for the time being in force concerning ragging. The College is required to submit to weekly reports on anti-ragging status to the Vice Chancellor of the University.

Guidance: Every fresh student admitted to the institution shall be given a printed leaflet detailing to whom s/he has to turn to for help and guidance for various purposes including addresses and telephone numbers, so as to enable the student to contact the concerned person at any time. Identity of informants of ragging incidents is fully protected.

Anti-Ragging Squad: Anti ragging committee would also monitor and oversee the performance of the Anti-Ragging Squad. It shall be the duty of the Anti-Ragging Squad to make surprise raids on hostels, and other places vulnerable to incidents of, and having the potential of, ragging.

FIR: The guidelines lay down that on receipt of any information concerning any reported incident of ragging, the Head of institution shall immediately determine, if a case under the penal laws is made out and if so, either on his own or through a member of the Anti-Ragging Committee, proceed to file a First Information Report (FIR), within twenty four hours of receipt of such information.

3.Evaluation of Ragging: It lays down that The Anti-Ragging Committee of the institution shall take an appropriate decision, in regard to punishment or otherwise, depending on the facts of each incident of ragging and nature and gravity of the incident of ragging established in the recommendations of the Anti-Ragging Squad.

4. Punishable Ingredients of Ragging

(i) Abetment to ragging

(ii) Criminal conspiracy to rag

(iii) Unlawful assembly and rioting while ragging

(iv) Violation of decency and morals through ragging

(v) Injury to body causing hurt or grievous hurt

(vi) Wrongful restraint

(vii) Wrongful confinement

(viii) Use of criminal force

(ix) Extortion

(x)Assault/sexual offences/Unnatural offences

(xi) Criminal intimidation

(xii) Offences against property

(xiii) Attempt to commit any or above of the offences

(xiv) Any offence flowing from the definition of ragging

5. Consequences of Ragging

(i) Cancellation of admission

(ii) Suspension from attending classes

(iii) Withholding/withdrawing scholarship and other benefits

(iv) Debarring from appearing in exam/other evaluation process

(v) Withholding results

(vi) Debarring the student from representing in any national, international or  youth festival.

(vii) Suspension from hostel

(viii) Restriction from institution for a period of 1 to 4 years

(ix) Expulsion from an institution and barring from admission in any other institution.

(x) Fine up to Rs. 25,000/-

Conclusion

The primary responsibility to curb ragging would vest with the educational institutions. There is a requirement to active participation of media and civil society as well in controlling them. As rightly observed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, declaring ragging as a cognizable offence cannot control ragging, as the students going to educational institutions should not be subjected to live under fear of police. However, in view of the recent impact on the students, these guidelines to curb the menace of ragging were put in place. The court also has been ensued responsibility to ensure that there is speedy disposal of these matters. The past memories of adverse impact of ragging can only be wiped by strict implementation of these laws.

THE KERALA PROHIBITION OF RAGGING ACT, 1998*

(Act 10 of 1998)

An Act to Prohibit ragging in educational institutions in the State of Kerala.

Preamble.- WHEREAS it is expedient to prohibit ragging in educational institutions in the State of Kerala.

BE it enacted in the Forty-Ninth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-

1. Short title, extent and Commencement.(1) This Act may be called the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998.
   (2) It extends the whole of the State of Kerala.
   (3) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 23rd day of October, 1997.
2. Definition.-In this Act, unless the context otherwise required,-
   (a) ‘head of the educational institution’ means the Principal or the Headmaster or the person responsible for the management of that educational institution;
   (b) ‘Ragging’ means doing of any act, by disorderly conduct, to a student of an educational institution, which causes or is likely to cause physical or psychological harm or raising apprehension or fear or shame or embarrassment to that student and includes-
   (i) teasing, abusing or paying practical jokes on, or causing hurt to, such student; or
   (ii) asking a student to do any act or perform something which such student will not, in the ordinary course willingly, do.

1. Prohibition of ragging.- Ragging within or without any educational institution is prohibited.
2. Penalty for ragging.- Whoever commits, participates in, abets or propagates ragging within, or without, any educational institution shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extent to two years and shall also be liable to a fine which may extent to ten thousand rupees.
3. Dismissal of student.- Any student convicted of an offence under section 4 shall be dismissed from the educational institution and such student shall not be admitted in any other educational institution for a period of three years from the date of order of such dismissal.
4. Suspension of student.
   (1) Whenever any student or , as the case may be, the parents or guardian, or a teacher of an educational institution complaints, in writing, of ragging to the head of the educational institution, the head of that educational institution shall, without prejudice to the foregoing provisions, within seven days of the receipt of the complaint, enquire into the matter mentioned in the complaint and if, prima facie, it is found true, suspend the student who is accused of the offence, and shall, immediately, forward the complaint to the police station having jurisdiction over the area in which the educational institution is situate, for further action.
   (2) Where, on enquiry by the head of the educational institution, it is proved that there is no substance prima facie in the complaint received under sub-section (1), he shall intimate the fact, in writing, to the complainant.
5. Deemed abetment.- If the head of the educational institution fails or neglects to take action in the manner specified in section 6 when a complaint of ragging is made, such person shall be deemed to have abetted the offence of ragging and shall, on conviction, be punished as provided for in section 4.
6. Power to make rules.-
   (1) The Government may, by notification in the Gazette, make rules for carrying out all or any of the purposes of this Act.
   (2) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before the Legislative Assembly, while it is in session for a total period of fourteen days, which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and if before the expiry of the session in which it is so laid, or the session immediately following, the Legislative Assembly makes any modification in the rule or decides that the rule should not be made, the rule shall, thereafter, have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be, so, however that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.
7. Repeal and saving.-
   (1) The Kerala prohibition of Ragging Ordinance, 1998 (2 of 1998) is hereby repealed.
   (2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or deemed to have been done or any action taken or deemed to have been taken under the said Ordinance shall be deemed to have been done or taken under this Act.