[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.