RAGGING

Ragging in India is a damaging form of interaction of the seniors in college or school with the juniors, new entrants or first years. It is similar to, but not the same as, hazing in the United States; it is not an initiation. It often involves insults (simple or suggestive sexual, sarcastic and even physical), running errands for seniors, and many other complex activities. Highly reputed Indian colleges have a history of ragging especially Medical colleges. It has become increasingly unpopular due to several complaints of serious injury to the victims and stringent laws pertaining to ragging. Ragging is now defined as an act that violates or is perceived to violate an individual student’s dignity.

Following Supreme Court orders, a National Anti-Ragging Helpline was launched by the Indian Government.

Initially ragging started in the British era in English colleges and universities but it slowly spread to Indian educational institutions. The excuse was to teach the social hierarchy in early career, and also learn other important values in life as if they were mature enough to know anything about values and hierarchy. Many colleges such as AIIMS, Christian Medical College and National college of engineering, Tirunelveli have an unpleasant history of ragging, with many of the alumni regarding the ragging period as unbearable and traumatic.

But it should be stopped now!!!!!!!!!

Ragging: Prohibition, Prevention and Punishment

The University Grants Commission vide its letter no F.1-16/2007 (CPP-II) dated June 17,

2009 has reiterated the ban on ragging of students in Institutions of Higher Learning. The students

are therefore directed to strictly desist from any kind of ragging.

Forms of Ragging:

Display of noisy, disorderly conduct, teasing, excitement by rough or rude treatment or

handling, including rowdy, undisciplined activities which cause or likely to cause annoyance,

undue hardship, physical or psychological harm or raise apprehensive fear in a fresher, or asking

the students to do any act or perform something which such a student will not do in the ordinary

course and which causes him/her shame or embarrassment or danger to his/her life, etc.

Punishment for Participation in/or Abetment of Ragging :

1. Cancellation of admission.

2. Suspension from attending classes.

3. Withholding/withdrawing scholarship/fellowship and other benefits.

4. Debarring from appearing in any test/examination or other evaluation process.

5. Withholding results.

6. Debarring from representing the institution in any national or international meet,

tournament, youth festival, etc.

7. Suspension/expulsion from the hostel.

8. Rustication from the institution for periods varying from 1 to 4 semesters or

equivalent period.

9. Expulsion from the institution and consequent debarring from admission to any

other institution.

10 Fine up to Rs. 25,000/-

Affidavit by students and parents

Each student and his/her parents/ guardian shall have to furnish an affidavit alongwith the

application form to the effect that they will not participate in or abet the act of ragging and that, if

found guilty, shall be liable for punishment under the penal law of India.

I am a citizen of India and as an Alert citizen I can’t tolerate more!

I can’t bear more now!!

Social Evils Should be removed at any cost.

We have right to express ,right to live according to us.

Then why others are exploiting??

Why this is happening in this country????

It should be removed now!!!!

If we take action against these evils then I am sure one day our society as well as World will become “EVIL FREE”.
ARJUN CHAWLA

Arjun Chawla is a young boy who is being exploited by his seniors.

Arjun Chawla is the only child of his widowed mother. The Bond between the mother
& the son is very strong. Mother seems to have faced in justice in the hands of her in

law’s after her husband’s death. The Mother & the Son are living in the Kashmiri

Pandit Refugee colony in Jammu. They are poor. For the mother paying for her son’s

education, in a private college, is not easy. The mother & the Son are low on self

esteem. The mother seems to have fallen from Grace. The son is suffering because of

that. His health situation does not help. Arjun’s Private College Education is an

attempt by the mother to gain some of her lost self esteem. It is unfortunate that it

has turned sour for the mother & the Son.

Report of Visit by Raj Kachroo to Dr D Y Patil University ( DPU ) in Pune on the

9th August in connection with the Ragging case of Arjun Chawla.
__________________________________________________________

1. I met with 5 members of the College Anti Ragging Committee in the first session

including the Director and the Chairperson of the Committee – Dr. Ashima Bhan.

Then I met with 6 Members of the University Anti Ragging Committee in second

session where 2 members of the College anti Ragging Committee were also present.

And then I met with the Vice Chancellor, Mr. Razdan, together with all others. It was

a 3 hours Marathon session where I had to repeat my self several times because I met

different people at different times. This was because my flight had got delayed by

several hours & every thing had to be rescheduled.

2. I met the Complainant and his mother only for 5 minutes towards the end and that

too in my Taxi on my way back to the Airport. This is because the Complainant’s

mother had narrated her side of the story to me at length in several telephone

conversations in the past 2 weeks.

3. The Director of the College had a bunch of files on her desk which I was told

contained the evidence of misbehavior, indiscipline bordering crime, by Arjun Chawla.

The Complainant’s mother were also carrying a thick file which contained her version

of the story. There are allegations & counter allegations on both sides. I did not see

any evidence from either side.

4. I did not want my short session at the University to turn into a mudslinging match &

to arouse the passions on each side. I refrained from being an investigator. I tried to

be a friend. I hope it will work. If it does not work then I will go back & try to

investigate & come up with a report of investigation.. This report is an attempt on

Reconciliation.

5. I explained to authorities that UGC does not question the wisdom of any Anti

Ragging Committee. UGC gets involved only as an appellate authority & only in a few

cases where UGC is convinced that the complainant has a valid reason to disagree

with the findings of an Anti Raging Committee.

6. I explained to the authorities that in this case the complainant had alleged that the

College/University has issued him a notice for rustication on frivolous grounds. He

has said that the true reason is that college authorities were angry with him for

gathering courage to complain to the UGC and to the Police. I explained to

authorities that UGC treats such allegations very seriously because if the word goes

around that calling UGC help line is an invitation for trouble then students will refrain

from calling the help line, which in turn, will undermine the entire intiative of the

Union Government on Eradication of Ragging.

7. Officials told me that they had issued the complainant with a Show Cause notice only

to scare him. The idea was to discipline him rather than actually rusticate him.

8. I believed in this story because I noticed that the authorities had dealt with this case,

rather, amateurishly, on more than one occasion.

a. It seems to me that this is for the first time the University had to deal

with a different kind of a student. The authorities seem to have no

experience of handling such difficult situations. The result is the mess

in which they find themselves.

b. The authorities do not see the importance of following the prescribed

procedure on Ragging. They still feel that it is an internal matter of

the College.

c. The authorities are not familiar with the Anti Ragging Regulations &

even as basic as the definition of Ragging itself. They think

indiscipline, quarrel, humiliation etc. are a different phenomenon

unrelated to Ragging. The Anti Committee Reports are confused

because the members are confused about the definition of Ragging

itself.

d. The Compliance of the Anti Ragging Regulations is poor. Affidavits

are not taken seriously. The Anti Ragging Committee members are

not accessible through mobile phones. There are no posers on the

walls etc.

e. Many explanations were rather weak: For instance, I was told by

various members that they do not want to hold meetings of Anti

Ragging Committees on trivial matters because that would ruin the

career of students. This idea that once a committee meets then an

investigation has to conducted to punish is wrong . The Committee

can warn him/her. They can send him/her for Counseling. They can

exonerate him/her of all charges etc.

9. At the end of my 3 hours marathon session I was convinced that the University

Authorities appreciated the importance that UGC & the Union Government attaches

to the Program on Prevention of Ragging. I was assured that all weaknesses that I

have listed above will be dealt with immediately.

10. On the specific issue of Arun Chawala, the Complainant in this case, I was assured by

the authorities that

a. They will make a conscious effort to counsel Arjun Chawla. They will

provide him with suitable hostel accommodation. The Teachers will

make an effort to integrate Arjun Chawla back in the main stream

without any bias or discrimination. The authorities will ensure that he

is not isolated or picked upon by other students. If Arjun Chawla

continues to humiliate his female class mates then the University will

follow the prescribed procedure rather than arbitrarily declare him

guilty or not guilty.

b. It is important to note that Arjun Chawla is suffering from a number of

ailments. His blood pressure is prone to shooting up to the levels of 120

onwards on slightest provocation & stress. He had some serious kidney

malfunction from the time of his birth until a few years ago. He is fine

now but requires extra attention in terms of hygiene etc. That is why the

issue of his Hostel Accommodation is very important.

11. A Vice Chancellor or a Director of a Public funded University knows how to deal with

students from the extreme left of the curve because they meet many of them. For a

Private University such students are rare. Most private universities are used to

dealing with students who come from a similar back ground & hence cluster around

the mean of a normal distribution curve. Authorities in Private Universities do not

understand them and do not know how to deal with them. Arjun Chawla’s case is a

case of inexperienced authority dealing with a situation that they have never

encountered earlier.

12. On a lighter note, I told the authorities that it was a good thing that Arjun Chawla

had decided to take admission in their College because he has given them an

opportunity to learn.

13. Normally it would not be necessary for me to say but in this case it seems necessary

for me to state clearly that

while UGC makes every effort to resolve matters in a friendly atmosphere but

UGC will not shy away from exercising its powers to ensure that the National

Ragging Prevention Program is not undermined by any University Authority or

by any set of students or by any complainant.

14. I am hopeful that the matter of Arjun Chawla will be resolved. The authorities have

promised me that they will treat this matter differently from how they have dealt

with this in the past. I have no reason not to believe them. The Complainant & his

mother have also promised me that they will make every effort to adjust &

cooperate. I have no reason not to believe them either.

LEGISLATION

In 1997, the state of Tamil Nadu first passed laws related to ragging. Subsequently, a major boost to anti-ragging efforts was given by a landmark judgement of the Supreme Court of India in May 2001,in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Vishwa Jagriti Mission.
The Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), following a directive by the Supreme court, appointed a seven-member panel headed by ex-CBI director Dr. R. K. Raghavan to recommend anti-ragging measures. The Raghavan Committee report, submitted to the court in May 2007, includes a proposal to include ragging as a special section under the Indian Penal Code. The Supreme Court of India interim order(based on the recommendations) dated 16 May 2007 makes it obligatory for academic institutions to file official First Information Reports with the police in any instance of a complaint of ragging. This would ensure that all cases would be formally investigated under criminal justice system, and not by the academic institutions own ad-hoc bodies.
The Indian Supreme Court has taken a strong stand to prevent ragging. In 2006, the court directed the H.R.D. Ministry of the Govt. of India to form a panel which will suggest guidelines to control ragging.[30]
The panel, headed by the former director of C.B.I. Dr. R.K.Raghavan, met victims, guardians and others across the country. The Raghavan committee has placed its recommendation to the Hon’ble Supreme Court, which has given its order on the issue.
Welcoming the Supreme Court’s recent judgment on ragging Dr. Raghavan, the former CBI director, who is the chairman, Monitoring Committee for the Prevention of Ragging, said, “there are finally signs that the recommendations to prevent ragging in colleges will be taken seriously.”
Supreme Court in 2007 directed that all the higher educational institutions should include information about all the ragging incidents in their brochures/prospectus of admission.
2009 UGC Regulation

In 2009, in the wake of Aman Kachroo’s death, University Grants Commission (UGC) passed UGC REGULATION ON CURBING THE MENACE OF RAGGING IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, 2009.These regulation mandate every college responsibilities to curb the menace of ragging, including strict pre-emptive measures, like lodging freshers in a separate hostel, surprise raids especially at nights by the anti-ragging squad and submission of affidavits by all senior students and their parents taking oath not to indulge in ragging. The main features of the regulations are:
Responsibilities of Educational Institutions
1. Applicable to ALL higher educational institutions, imparting education beyond 12 years of schooling.
BEFORE AND DURING ADMISSION AND REGISTRATION :
2. Every public declaration, brochure of admission/instruction booklet or the prospectus to print these regulations in full.
3.Telephone numbers of the Anti-Ragging Helpline and all the important functionaries in the institution, members of the Anti-Ragging Committees and Anti-Ragging Squads etc. to be published in brochure of admission/instruction booklet or the prospectus.
4 Every student and his/her parents to file an affidavit avowing not to indulge in ragging.
5. The institution to prominently display posters detailing laws and punishment against ragging.
6. Anti-ragging squad to ensure vigil at odd hours during first few months at hostels, inside institution premises as well as privately commercially managed hostels.
AFTER ADMISSION:
7. Printed leaflet to be given to every fresher detailing addresses and telephone numbers of the Anti-Ragging Helpline, Wardens, Head of the institution, all members of the anti-ragging squads and committees, and relevant district and police authorities.
8. Identity of informants of ragging incidents to be fully protected.
9. Faculty members assigned to students to make surprise visits and to maintain a diary of his/her interaction with the freshers.