Anti Ragging

Anti Ragging

UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions 2009. “Ragging in all its forms is totally banned in this institution including in its departments, constituent units, all its premises (academic, residential, sport, kiosk, canteen and the like) whether located within the campus or outside and in all means of transportation of students whether public or private, The Institution shall take strict action including but not limited to criminal proceeding and/or cancellation of admission against those found guilty of ragging and/or of abetting ragging and the burden of proof shall be lie on the perpetrator of alleged ragging and not on the victim. An offence of Ragging may be charged either on a written complaint by the affected or on independent finding of the Anti-Ragging Squad. The institution is bound by the UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions 2009.”

Ragging of any nature by any student or any other person is a serious punishable offence and must be reported to Warden/Teacher/Principal or Management to immediately curb the menace of ragging. The order of The Honourable Supreme Court of India regarding punishment for ragging is as follows:

“If any incident of ragging comes to the notice of the authority, the concerned student shall be given liberty to explain and if his explanation is not found satisfactory, the authority would expel him from the institution.”

What is Ragging?
“Any disorderly, there by words spoken or written, or by an act which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness any other student, indulging in rowdy or undisciplined activities which causes or is likely to cause annoyance, hardship or psychological harm or to raise apprehension thereof in a fresher or a junior student or asking the students to do any act or perform something which such student will not in the ordinary course and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of a fresher or a junior student.”

Punishable ingredients of Ragging:
1. Abetment to ragging
2. Criminal conspiracy to rag
3. Unlawful assembly and rioting while ragging
4. Public nuisance created during ragging
5. Violation of decency and morals through ragging
6. Injury to body, causing hurt, or grievous hurt
7. Wrongful restraint
8. Wrongful confinement
9. Use of Criminal force
10. Assault as well as sexual offences or unnatural offences
11. Extortion
12. Criminal trespass
13. Offences against property
14. Criminal Intimidation
15. Attempts to commit any or all of the above-mentioned offences against the victim(s)
16. Physical or psychological humiliation
17. All other offences following from the definition of ‘Ragging’

The Karnataka Education Act, 1983 (Karnataka Act No. 1 of 1995) section 2(29) defines ragging as “causing, inducing, compelling, or forcing a student, whether by way of a practical joke or otherwise, to do any act which detracts from human dignity or violates his person or exposes him to ridicule or to forbear from doing any lawful act, by intimidating., wrongfully restraining, wrongfully confining, or injuring him or by using criminal force to him or by holding out to him any threat of such intimidation, wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement, injury or the use of criminal force.

Thus, ragging includes:
Act of physical and sexual abuse, stripping, forcing obscene and lewd acts, gestures, causing bodily harm or any other danger to health.
Act of abuse by spoken words, emails, messages, pictures, practical jokes, snail-mails, public insults, perverted pleasures, vicarious, or sadistic feel from actively or passively participating in the discomfiture to others.
Exploitation of junior students for completing academic tasks by senior students. Act of financial extortion or forceful expenditure.
Any act that affects the mental health and self-confidence of students.
Be it known to all that action shall be taken against those who are found indulging in ragging as per Recommendations of Raghavan Committee to Curb the Menace of Ragging Constituted by the Honourable Supreme Court of India, which are as follows:
1. The punishment to be meted out has to be exemplary and justifiably harsh to act as a deterrent against recurrence of such incidents.
2. Victim may lodge an FIR.
3. The institution must be an active party to lodge an FIR.
4. Ragging Evidence: Act of ragging witnessed by teaching, nonteaching staff, or administrative staff is to be treated as final.
5. In case the applicant for admission is found to have indulged in ragging in the past or if it is noticed later that he has indulged in ragging, admission may be refused or he shall be expelled from the educational institution.
6. Anti-ragging committees and squads shall be formed by the institutions and it shall be the job of the committee or the squad, as the case may be, to see that the Committee’s recommendations, not particularly those noted above, are observed without exception.

Punishment for Ragging:
Depending on the nature and gravity of the offense as established by the Anti-Ragging Committee of the College, those found guilty of ragging shall be liable for any one or any combination of the Following punishments: 1. Suspension from attending classes and academic privileges.
2. Withholding/withdrawing scholarship/fellowship and other benefits.
3. Debarring from appearing in any text/examination or other evaluation process.
4. Withholding results.
5. Debarring from representing the institution in any national or international meet, tournament, youth festival, etc.
6. Suspension/expulsion from the hostel.
7. Cancellation of admission.
8. Rustication from the institution for a period ranging from 1 to 4 semesters.
9. Expulsion from the institution and consequent debarring from admission to any other institution for a specific period.
10. Fine ranging between Rs. 25,000/- and Rs. 1 Lakh and/or imprisonment up-to 3 years.
11. In the case of offences of very serious/grievous nature, referring the case to the Police, in addition to any other punishment.
12. Collective Punishment where the offence is committed collectively by a group or by a class making it difficult or not possible to identify specific persons.

Other details:
The institution shall file an FIR with the police/local authorities whenever a case of ragging is reported, but shall continue with its own enquiry and other measures without waiting for action on the part of the police/local authorities. Remedial action shall be initiated and completed within the one week of the incident itself.
The Migration Certificate/Transfer Certificate issued by an institution shall have an entry, apart from those of general conduct and behaviour, whether the student had participated in and/or been punished for the offence of ragging or not.
Freshers are encouraged to report incidents of ragging. Those who do not do so even when being witnesses or victims, shall also be punished suitably.

Please Note:
Every student will give a written undertaking to the effect that he/she is aware of the law regarding ragging as well as the punishments, and that he/she, if found guilty of ragging, is liable to be punished appropriately.
The parent/guardian of the applicant will also give a written undertaking stating that he/she is aware of the law in this regard and agrees to abide by the punishment meted out to his/her ward in case the latter is found guilty of ragging.
College Anti-Ragging Squad: You may contact the squad in case you have been a victim or a witness to any aspect of ragging.
The decision of the Principal and the Anti-Ragging Committee in all matters shall be final and binding.