Ragging is not child's play, it is punishable by up to two years in prison

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Although the first-year admission in medical colleges has started, anti-ragging committees have not been formed in many places. Ragging, which is a non-bailable offence, is seen as a child's play in medical colleges and engineering colleges. Ragging information and complaints are not being handed over to the police in many cases. So far this year, there have been 12 ragging cases.

The UGC's recommendation that the anti-ragging committee, which includes the principal, teachers, student representatives and the police inspector, meet once a month to consider students' complaints, has not been implemented. College authorities do not hand over even serious complaints to the police. With this, the victims become more exploited. The Medical Commission has warned that the accreditation of medical colleges will be revoked and seats will be cut if the information is not reported to the police. The Centre has directed that even if a ragging complaint is lodged with the police by a student or a parent, it should be made in writing by the college principal.

• Ragging is punishable by up to two years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 under Section 13 of the Indian Penal Code.
• The guilty student will be expelled. No admission in any other institution for three years.
• The head of the institution who does not take action on the complaint will be charged with incitement. Ignoring the complaint is punishable by imprisonment.

Any activity that harms a student physically or mentally falls within the scope of ragging. Ragging is the act of causing fear, anxiety, shame, panic and ridicule, abuse and hurtful behaviour.

395 cases in ten years

Cases

2018 ............... 63

2019 ............... 43

2020 ............... 15

2021 ............... 14

2022 ............... 12

The High Court had recently ordered five engineering students, who used to do ragging, to do community service at the Kollam District Hospital for eight hours daily for two weeks. The case was that two junior students were ragged and brutally beaten. The junior students had told the court that they will withdraw the case.