Toll
free Helpline for Ragging
Ragging
of freshmen in academic institutions by senior students is rampant in Indian
Colleges.Ragging
has taken many shapes including physical violence, sexual abuse and humiliation
and milder form of pressurizing juniors to do Term Papers etc. Several steps
taken by authorities so far have not improved matters. Even deaths due to
ragging continue to be reported.
University
Grants Commission has set up a toll free Helpline for dealing with Ragging. Any
victim of ragging can ring up the toll free number 18001805522 or send an email
to: helpline@ antiragging.net . The
helpline will be operational 24 hours. Immediate action will be taken within
fifteen minutes by alerting appropriate authorities, be it the head of the
educational institution, the district collector or the police. Monitoring the
progress of follow up activities by all concerned is also included.
The
Anti Ragging Guidelines issued by UGC defines Ragging in a broader way to
consider all activities that constitute ragging. They are applicable to all
educational institutions both in government and public sectors including
transport facilities. The culprits when found guilty may be rusticated for four
sessions or fined up to 2.5 Lakhs
The
Supreme Court recommended setting up of such a helpline only in May 2009. The
Helpline is already in place, well ahead of next academic session. UGC and the
ministry of HRD must be complimented on this fast move. Reports of appreciation
and high hopes have come in from all sections like Students, Educational
authorities and social activists.
The
Helpline will speed up booking of culprits, investigations and such follow up
actions. Success in this sphere may improve compliance on the part of college
authorities; may encourage more victims to register their complaints. This may
also bring about some transparency as the progress investigation of cases of
ragging will be on the website for everyone to see.
However,
preventing ragging can be achieved only changing the mindset of students. The
same students (when they enter the college) who protest and detest ragging by
seniors (They should there no two opinions about it), when they become
seniors, engage in ugly ragging. This is a psychological problem of just
feeling superior. Only consistent counseling constant vigil may prevent
ragging.