[NewstrackIndia] UGC sets guidelines to eliminate ragging phobia

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It's high time now that the fresher avoid going to their respective institutions for the first few weeks of admission. As the new academic session is about to begin, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a set of proclamations of the code of conduct to be followed by the educational institutions.

The ragging phobia is so severe that a number of freshers, especially girls, experience a kind of trauma regarding the issue.

Many students, who are introvert in nature or are reluctant to open up or 'correspond socially' to their immediate environment, suffer it as an assault on their self-respect. In many institutions, the 'necessary ragging procedure' is so severe that the victims develop a kind of fear of the Temples of Education.

Ragging cases reported in the past few years involved fiercely obscure games, cheap tasks and unhealthy tantrums being played upon by the senior students who had experienced a similar treatment by their own seniors and who now seek a certain pleasure in playing vigorously innovative tricks with the fresher. The psychologists term it as a “sadistic pleasure” which finds outlet in this behaviour of the students originated from their own maltreatment at the hands of the others.

The UGC commission has thus issued some new proclamations that are headed towards bringing a ray of hope for the disappointed section. It plans to design a still stricter punishment for the unpardonable offence. The commission asks all the educational institutions in India to mention the punishment for ragging in their prospectus and brochures. Apart from the ragging cases dealt with during the previous year, it asks for the mention of the punishment meted out to the guilty students as well.

The UGC has also directed the institutions to have an anti-ragging cell, where the students can complain and report their ragging cases.

The institutions have been asked to provide special security to the students coming from rural areas or socially backward communities as according to a social profile drawn by the Raghavan community, such students are more likely to fall victim to the rogues.

As per the Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education(CURA), 52 cases have been reported between May and September 2007, including three suicide and three attempted suicide cases, which are suspected to be a consequence of the harassment faced during ragging. This increase in the “pleasurable Offence” despite Supreme Court ban has resulted in the increased security and number of cops around the educational institutions. Let’s see if the strategies that sound so good, work out to bear fruits....

[ZeeNews] UGC issues directions to universities to prevent ragging

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New Delhi, May 26: With the new academic session about to begin, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all universities to take steps against ragging such as specifying the number of cases in the previous sessions and the punishments awarded in the brochures and prospectus.

In a communication to the registrars of all universities, the UGC has also given the direction that the higher educational institutions should put up hoardings, billboards and banners in prominent places within the campus asking students to prevent and not to indulge in ragging.

"The committee set up by the Supreme Court to monitor the measures being taken to prevent ragging has now decided that along with the number of cases of ragging in the previous academic session, the punishments awarded to those found guilty should also be mentioned in the brochures/prospectus of the higher educational institutions," it said.

The universities have been asked to mention the names and telephone numbers of the officials to be contacted in cases of ragging on the hoardings, billboards and banners to be put up.

The UGC said in the notice that the directions follow from the step following the Supreme Court expressing concern over the cases of ragging occurring in the universities.

Earlier, the Raghavan Committee, set up as per the directions of the apex court, had recommended that ragging be included as a special section in the IPC. The UGC has already issued directions to the universities in this regard.

The UGC notice also asked the institutions to undertake any other form of campaign to prevent ragging.

Bureau Report

[MSN] Involve parents in punishing ragging rogues, says UGC

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New Delhi: Hit by the the spurt in ragging incidents in 2007 despite the Supreme Court ban, the University Grants Commission has asked all educational institutions in the country to spell out punishment for ragging in their prospectus and brochures.

The commission also wants that the institutions seek an undertaking from parents that they would agree to the punishment for their wards found involved in ragging. The National Institute of Technology, Calicut, is already seeking such an undertaking. However, students involved in ragging would be given a chance to plead their case, a UGC official clarified.

The UGC, in its nation-wide circular last week, had said that punishment for students found guilty of ragging, to be mentioned in the prospectus, would be expulsion from the institution, apart from initiation of criminal proceedings. The circular is a fall-out of the Raghavan Committee meeting on April 4, which found that the number of ragging cases in 2007 had doubled, compared to 2006. It was also felt that many institutions don’t report minor cases of ragging fearing loss of reputation.

The Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education (CURA), a group monitoring ragging cases in India, had reported 52 cases between May and September 2007, which included three suicides and three attempts to suicide cases, suspected to be resulting from harassment faced during ragging.

The UGC has also directed every institution to have an anti-ragging cell comprising teachers as well as students, where students can report ragging cases. The students would have to be briefed about this right at the time of induction, a UGC official said.

The Raghavan committee had also drawn a social profile of the victims and found that most of them were either from rural areas or socially backward communities. The institutions have been asked to provide special protection to these students.

The Supreme Court had directed educational institutions last year to lodge an FIR against the accused in ragging cases. It had also asked lower courts to hear these cases on a fast track basis. But, in many cases it had been found that the institutions had got the ragging case resolved amicably rather than acting against the accused.

The UGC has also asked institutions to conduct special campaigns to stop ragging and identify ragging hot spots such as hostels, for these campaigns.

© Copyright 2008 HT Media Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Yahoo] UGC's new missive on ragging

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Mon, May 26 12:35 AM

IN ACCORDANCE with a Supreme Court order and to re-impress on the varsities the government's determination to ensure ragging-free campuses in the country, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has now made it mandatory for all universities to henceforth provide details about the number of ragging incidents in the previous academic session and the punishments awarded to those found guilty in the prospectuses and admission brochures for the benefit of the admission seekers. An order dated May 17, 2008 in this regard has been sent to all universities by the UGC for implementation.

This latest order follows an earlier order issued in February 2008 in which the UGC had instructed all universities to ensure that their admission related prospectuses contain a warning stating that if any incident of ragging comes to the notice of the authority, the student concern would be given a chance to explain and if that explanation is not found satisfactory, the student would be expelled from the institution. It is also worth mentioning that in November 2007, the UGC had also demanded compliance report from varsities on the anti-ragging measures taken by them till date.

In the circular issued on November 20, the UGC had made clear representatives of universities that fail to comply with the directives may have to appear directly before the Apex court in this context. It had also noted that the Raghavan Committee had taken a 'serious view' of the slow progress being made in implementing these measures.

In the May 17, 2008, order from UGC Under secretary V.K. Jaiswal, the UGC has also brought to the notice of the university officials an order of Union Ministry of HRD dated April 28, 2008 instructing them to erect suitable hoarding, bill board and banners in prominent places within the campus exhorting the students to prevent and not to indulge in ragging besides also indicating therein the names of the officials and their telephone numbers who are to be contacted in case of ragging. On being contacted, AU proctor Prof Jata Shankar though expressed ignorance about the latest missive of UGC over the issue but said that he and the varsity were well aware of the Apex Court's directions and the latest UGC instructions in this regard.

[MSN] CBSE steps in to check suicides

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The rising rate of suicides among school children is a matter of great concern to the parents and school authorities. The Central Board of Secondary Education has made it mandatory for all affiliated schools to employ counsillors to help children cope with psychological pressure that often drive them to the extreme step.

CBSE has issued circulars directing that all senior secondary schools should appoint councillors during this academic session. If they are unable to make immediate appointment of councillors, they should train two of their teachers for this purpose.Secondary schools are also asked to follow this guideline if resources permit. Each school should conduct a minimum of 20 counselling sessions in an year.

The CBSE circular notes that ‘exercises in building self-concept, self-image, acceptability, ability to withstand pressures, sense of enterprises, sportsmanship etc. have to be part of the learning process’ and schools were instructed to provide planned and effective counselling to achieve this. Mentioning the status of the student in terms of his/her behaviour pattern in the school leaving and character certificates has been made mandatory.

A committee, popularly known as Raghavan Committee, constituted by the Supreme Court of India to make suggestions for prevention of ragging in educational institutions has also made a strong case for regular and periodic psychological counselling sessions for every student in the school.

Career guidance will be a vital part of counselling in CBSE schools.

CBSE has plans to introduce skill-based vocational courses that would enable students to get decent employment even after Plus II level. Fifteen such courses will be introduced in the next 3-4 years in association with leading industrial bodies like Nasscom and FICCI. A `health services' course and new academic subjects like graphic design and heritage craft are being introduced this year. The number of schools offering a course in financial management will be incresased from 90 to 120 this year.

Source: India Syndicate

[NewNation] 9 PSTU students expelled from hall for ragging

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Our Correspondent, Barisal

Patuakhali Science and Technology University authority expelled nine students from the hall on Sunday for six months following torturing a newly admitted student in the name of ragging on Saturday night in room no. 206 of Keramat Ali Hall

Dr. Md. Golam Rabbani, provost of Keramat Ali Hall and Dr. Abu Haider, registrar of the university acknowledged the fact said that and academic steps were taken against them. Related sources said Rakib Al Faisol, Md. Shahadat Hossain, Md. Shahinoor Parvez, Md. Saiful Islam Faisol, Md.Salauddin,Md. Shamim Ahmed, Md. Pavel Howladar of second semester of agriculture faculty and Tousik Ahmed Tonmoy and S M Rahat of third semester of business administration faculties physically and mentally assaulted Md. Kamruzaman, a newly admitted BBA student at room-206-A of the hall in the name of ragging.

[NewKerala] 4 Engg students injured in ragging

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Vidisha, MP, May 17 : Four first year students of the Government Engineering College here suffered serious injuries after they were severely beaten up by second year students during ragging on the campus premises.

The injured students had been hospitalised, college sources said, adding the senior students of the college ordered their juniors to line up at a welcome party on the night of May 14 and assaulted them.

The victims lodged a complaint with Union Minister of State for Information Technology Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is also the chairman of the college governing council.

College Director P M Bhandari said the entire incident was being investigated and it would be completed by Monday. He assured of action against those found guilty.

Sources, however, said the college administration had already imposed fine on the guilty students, but was not divulging any details.

--- UNI

[NewIndPress] Nrithasilpam on ragging

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Friday May 9 2008 08:01 IST
Athira M

She made Tom and Jerry squabble in Mohiniyattom attire. Then she presented tales of social injustice and distress, holding fast to the tradition of Mohiniyattom.

Kalamandalam Hemalatha, a danseuse known for her attempts to weave varied - sometimes impossible - themes into Mohiniyattom, is back with a new work. This time it’s about ragging.

"When it’s time to go for higher studies, most school students are apprehensive about ragging. Equally tense are their parents. Ragging is something which has to be curbed. We have examples where students commit suicide when they are unable to bear the taunts and shame. My work narrates such a tale. It calls for creating awareness in society about the abuse of ragging," said Hemalatha, 35, who passed out of Kalamandalam in 1991.

Her work tells about a village girl. A palmist tells her that tragedies are in store for her, her honour and even life are at stake.

"But she brushes it aside, quite typical of youngsters. However, once she goes to the city for higher studies everything scares her- the new place, her classmates and the new atmosphere. She is ragged and eventually it leads to her death, shattering the dreams and hopes of her parents," said Hemalatha.

This 45-minute to one-hour work will be staged at Kerala Sahitya Akademi Hall, Thrissur, on May 19, as part of the 15th anniversary celebrations of Hemalatha’s dance school, Devi Kalamandalam.

The work has been choreographed and directed by Hemalatha and her husband P.B.Jayan.

Music composition is by Dr Unnikrishnan and Oorakam Sreekumar is the singer. Thrissur Ugine is on the organ and harmonium and Raman plays the mizhavu.

The work definitely has Malayalam lyrics which magnifies the extent of ragging. Like, the victim is being taunted by the words "Penno, purushano, napumsakamo?" (Are you female, male or eunuch?), Hemalatha said. "It is through the `mizhavu’ that the horror of ragging is brought out," she added.

It was in 2006 that Hemalatha told Tom and Jerry tales through Mohiniyattom to popularise the art form among children. Later she ventured out to narrate serious themes-like drinking water shortage through the story of Mailamma.

Bharatavarthamanam, another work, touched upon the endosulfan tragedy, farmer suicides and Noida massacre. She has also portrayed the life of widows through the story of Kurooramma.

"We hardly react when there is any injustice. Dance is our medium of reacting," said Jayan, Hemalatha’s husband. Through Mohiniyattom, she also paid tribute to EMS Namboothirippad and to the late Mother Teresa.

The couple is now holding an year-long free Mohiniyattom camp for 50 children at their dance school.

"It also covers make-up so that these children can do it on their own once they start seriously pursuing the dance form," said Jayan.