Anti-ragging helpline: A task well begun…….Anubhuti Vishnoi
* In Delhi’s prestigious Hindu College, student Ashish Kumar and his father had to submit an apology to junior Durgesh Pathak whom Ashish had subjected to ragging and assure that he would not repeat such acts.
* At Bangalore University and Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, students who had ragged others were suspended for varying durations.
* Rajiv Gandhi Vishwa-vidyalaya, Bhopal, suspended three students from its hostel for ragging.
* The National Council for Hotel Management & Catering Technology in Uttar Pradesh expelled students from the hostel and suspended them from the institute after a student complained about the ragging they had inflicted on him.
* And, on Tuesday, a court in Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh sentenced four persons to seven years rigorous imprisonment for a ragging incident at a college in nearby Palampur in which a student was stabbed to death.
A year after ragging at a Himachal Pradesh medical college led to the death of Aman Kachroo, the Centre woke up to check the menace and the UGC replaced its generalised anti-ragging guidelines with stringent and binding anti-ragging regulations. These regulations laid out a step-by-step grievance redressal mechanism and acting upon a suggestion made by Aman’s father Raj Kachroo, the UGC went on to set up a National Anti-Ragging Helpline on June 20, 2009 (1800-180-5522).
Meanwhile, the four accused in the case, whose bail was cancelled by the Himachal Pradesh High Court, will give statements in a fast-track court of Dharamsala on September 7.
While no centralised data on ragging incidents was ever maintained before, the anti-ragging helpline has registered more than 447 complaints so far. In 34 cases, punitive action has been taken against students found to be involved in ragging after following up on complaints. While many argue that the follow up action is not as prompt as required to check the ragging menace, it is definitely a good start.
Consider this: Four students from the Biju Patnaik Technical University of Orissa registered complaints on the anti-ragging helpline. Of the accused, one was expelled from the hostel for the entire term of his course, another was suspended from college, a third was rusticated and an FIR lodged against him while another five students were expelled from the hostel and an FIR lodged against them as well. Dibrugrah University in
Assam after a complaint by one Saurav Swaroop Gupta expelled a number of students, fined and reprimanded them and blacklisted them as well.
In UPs Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, a student accused of ragging was suspended from the class and was only allowed to appear for exams after an order from the Supreme Court. Similarly, at Ramaswamy Memorial University, Kancheepuram, a student was expelled and barred from appearing in one university exam besides an FIR lodged against him. The matter was finally settled in a court of law.
In total, more than 50 students found to have engaged in ragging were either expelled, suspended, fined or made to submit personal bonds and undertakings promising good behaviour. As many as 34 educational institutions took stiff action on ragging complaints, punishing those found guilty.
While the actual number of ragging victims and ragging accused is certainly much higher, the fact that educational institutions both government-run and private have begun to take serious action to check ragging will work as a deterrent, officials point out. That the consequences of indulging in ragging can have serious consequences on their career and punishments like expulsion and suspension besides summoning of guardians could be readily meted out should send the right message.