New Delhi: In order to address the issue of increase in ragging cases in campuses, the UGC has brought out the UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009. These regulations are to be followed mandatorily by all Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). Further, to increase awareness against ragging, media campaign is also undertaken every year. UGC also sends advisories to the Vice-Chancellors of all Universities to curb the menace of ragging. Ministry of Human Resource Development also writes to all States/UTs every year to create a sustained awareness campaign against ragging. An Anti-Ragging toll free “helpline” 1800-180-5522 in 12 languages has been made operational with Call Centre facilities for helping victims of ragging, besides facilitating effective coordinated action by all concerned. The UGC has developed an Anti-Ragging Website i.e. www.antiragging.in. The Portal contains the record of registered complaints received and the status of the action taken thereon. An Anti-Ragging Mobile Application was launched on 29thMay, 2017 for filing the complaint on ragging/ filing the anti-ragging undertaking/ for calling the helpline number. This App can be downloaded from Google Play Store. The UGC has uploaded few videos on campaign against ragging, videos on different perspective of ragging (of offender, of parents and of victim) and an Anti-Ragging documentary. These videos are available at the UGC Webpage, http://www.ugc.ac.in/page/Videos-Regarding-Ragging.aspx. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has informed that whenever it receives any complaint of ragging in a school affiliated to it, it takes action as per the Affiliation Bye-laws and existing guidelines which are available at www.cbseaff.nic.in and www.cbse.nic.in, respectively.
The Ministry has constituted a four member Committee of mental health and public health professionals to ascertain the psychological impact of ragging on students, reasons and circumstances under which ragging happens, assess and quantify the impact of ragging and indiscipline on the standard of education and recommend urgent and mandatory mental health measures to be implemented in, and practiced by school, colleges and all educational and vocational institutions. The important recommendations of the Committee include organizing welcome and orientation programmes at the beginning of every academic session involving the students, installation of proper surveillance mechanism, having a clear Standard Operating Procedure, offering psychosocial support and counseling to victims and perpetrators, assessing and monitoring the social climate of institutions through regular surveys, organizing programs for fostering civic engagement and responsibility among students, etc. The important recommendations have been issued to all the Regulatory bodies and Vice-Chancellors of all the Universities for taking urgent action.
This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Dr. Satya Pal Singh today in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question.
