Unending Ordeal: On Continuing Acts Of Ragging

11 Nov 2023

Context:

Recently, a 17-year-old boy died due to ragging in West Bengal’s Jadavpur University, who was a second-year undergraduate student of the PSG College of Technology in Tamil Nadu.
He has been left brutalized, physically and mentally, for refusing to yield to monetary extortion by his seniors.

Relevancy for Mains: Concerns of Ragging in India and steps that need to be taken to curb and eliminate such inhuman acts.

R.K. Raghavan Committee: As per the Panel, ragging is a form of “psychopathic behavior and a reflection of deviant personalities”.
- The Supreme Court-appointed R.K. Raghavan Committee had captured the causes, and suggested actionable remedies, in its 2007 report, ‘The Menace of Ragging in Educational Institutions and Measures to Curb It’.

Failure of Rules and Regulations: Multiple pieces of legislation and regulations prohibiting ragging on campuses have failed to end these dehumanizing raggings.
Failure of Execution: Despite ‘The UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions 2009’, the stakeholders have done little to prevent it.
- In 1999, a University Grants Commission (UGC) Committee had recommended a “Prohibition, Prevention and Punishment” approach to curb ragging.
Exposal of Gaps in the System: These cases of ragging expose the gaps in the system.
Cruel Acts: Acts of ragging have taken perverse and cruel forms, including through sexual abuse.
- Ragging has become an act of indiscipline and has evolved into one that involves elements of criminality.
Lack of Prevention: The Raghavan Committee pointed out, many State laws only seek to prohibit, and not prevent, ragging.
- While prevention must lead to prohibition, the reverse need not be true.

Supporting Environment: Institutions must create an encouraging atmosphere where teachers and hostel wardens are the first point of contact for victims.
Accountability: There must be greater accountability by educational institutions to prevent ragging.
Strict Regulations: The regulatory authorities must ensure a ragging-free campus.
Academic Standard: Institutions must maintain academic standards.
Implementation and Enforcement of Laws on a Strict Manner: Governments too must be earnest in implementing regulations.

News Source: The Hindu