New Delhi: An 18-year-old student died on the night of August 9 after falling from his hostel’s second floor at the Jadavpur University campus in Kolkata.
A police probe later found that the first-year Bengali Honours student was not only ragged but also allegedly suffered sexual harassment. The police have, so far, arrested 12 people, including students and alumni of the university.
What are the anti-ragging laws in India?
The laws defined against ragging in India come under the Prohibition of Ragging Act of 1997 and its amendments. According to the definition mentioned in the law, the act of ragging is “any disorderly conduct whether by words spoken or written or by an act which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness a fresher or any other student”.
Under the anti-ragging law, if a student is found guilty, he/she can be imprisoned for three years, along with a fine.
Some government bodies have their own laws on ragging, such as the All India Council For Technical Education (AICTE), and the Medical Council of India have made their own regulations under their respective Acts.
The UGC law against ragging
To curb the menace of ragging, the UGC has introduced the UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.
Under these regulations, all higher educational institutions have to follow the UGC guidelines mandatorily, and failing to do so will invoke strict action.
The UGC has also set up a toll-free helpline regarding anti-ragging, 1800-180-5522, in which a victim can register his or her complaint in 12 languages.
The law of the All India Council for Technical Education
Under Section 23 and Section 10 of the AICTE Act, 1987, there is an “All India Council for Technical Education (Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Technical Institutions, Universities including Deemed to be Universities imparting technical education) Regulations 2009” to prevent ragging.
The laws of the Medical Council of India
The Medical Council of India formulated the ‘Medical Council of India (Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges/Institutions) Regulations, 2009’, which belongs to Section 33 of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
Coalition for Uprooting Ragging from Education (CURE)
The Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education (CURE) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) in India working to eliminate ragging in India.
CURE started in July 2001, in Delhi, and has 470 members, mostly students.