[ToI] Colleges target ragging with CCTVs, patrol

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NEW DELHI: If Delhi University has its way, ragging may soon become extinct.

Colleges are going all out to stop it — setting up anti-ragging committees, giving out special numbers to students to lodge complaints, distributing booklets on the evils of ragging and sensitising students through the use of posters and lectures. And if that's not enough, the university has also, in association with the Delhi Police, ensured there's mobile patrolling, more pickets and two joint control rooms to monitor the campuses in the first few days of the new academic session.

Ragging is certainly the target in colleges like LSR and Ramjas, where authorities are planning to distribute booklets on the evils of ragging. This is besides the usual committees that will be set up to monitor student activity from Wednesday onwards, when college re-opens. Of course, if the committees don't seem enough, there's always the CCTVs that some college have put up. Hans Raj has, for the first time, set up four CCTV cameras to ensure that discipline is maintained, while Kirori Mal had already installed cameras last admission season. Said Hans Raj principal, S R Arora, "The measures are only in place to ensure no untoward incidents take place."

Off campus colleges too seem serious about anti-ragging measures. Said Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College principal, S K Garg, "There has been no ragging in our college for almost eight years now. As the students don't get ragged by their seniors, they do not rag their juniors either." Other colleges are preferring to increase awareness than put up strict arrangements.

Sunil Sondhi, principal, Maharaja Agrasen College, said, "We just make our students understand right on the first day that every person has a dignity that needs to be respected, not only in the first few days but through the three years that they spend in the college."

The university has also introduced many measures to ensure no ragging incident takes place. The steps, which have been made mandatory for all colleges, include restricted entry to both hostels and colleges, as well as setting up of a formal redressal system where students complaints are to be dealt with immediately. Hostels are to be kept under strict vigil, with the university asking colleges to ensure that regular and sudden inspections are made.

Colleges have been asked not to allow guests to stay in the hostel in the initial few weeks of reopening of the colleges.

Sealed complaint boxes will also be put up in colleges so that students can file complaints without revealing their identity.

[Hindu] Dancing to the beat of ‘no ragging’

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Parul Sharma

NEW DELHI: As a new batch of students begins its campus life at Delhi University this Wednesday, a non-government organisation working towards elimination of ragging has launched a song and video to combat the nuisance.

The video is available online at www.noragging.com/video

Founded in 2001, the Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education (CURE) has carried out several campaigns to weed out ragging, including observing “No Ragging Day” on October 11.

It has also worked as a consultant body to the Raghavan Committee appointed by the Supreme Court to monitor measures to prevent ragging in higher educational institutions.

“The USP of the song and video is that it is not only the first of its kind on ragging, but the lyrics of the song, the composition, singing and the design of video have all been done by first-year students,” says Harsh Agarwal, a CURE member.

This latest venture, believes CURE co-founder Varun Aggarwal, will add a new dimension to the campaign against ragging. “The campaigns till now have been preachy, while the youth of today do not like to take orders. They want to know why they should not indulge in ragging. This is what the video does in a beautiful and convincing way,” he explains.

[ThaiIndian] With squads, cameras Delhi University gears up to stop ragging

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July 14th, 2008 - 7:10 pm ICT by IANS -

New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) The college corridors and canteens, classrooms are abuzz with breathless chatter of freshers. On the grounds, throngs of newcomers are moving about with nervous excitement. The new session of Delhi University is beginning Wednesday, and the fear of being ragged is in the air. But student volunteers constituting the anti-ragging squad of Delhi University are all set to do the rounds of colleges and catch anyone ragging newcomers.

After the Supreme Court directive calling for institutions and principals to take stern action to ban ragging, the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) set up an anti-ragging squad last year, which with the help of Delhi Police, monitors college campuses at the beginning of the new academic session to prevent the dreadful ragging incidents.

For most students, the thrill of starting college is overcome by the fear of getting ragged by seniors. And though it has been banned, there have been stray cases of ragging on the campus and in college hostels.

Amrita Bahari, president of DUSU, said the union has taken all steps to ensure that the new students don’t start their college life on a harrowing note.

“We are very serious about the issue of ragging and have sent out strong messages in the form of campaigns and posters in college campuses, asking students not to rag anyone,” Bahari said.

“Our anti-ragging squad, which constitutes 16 students for the north campus and 10 for the south campus, is all set to do the rounds from the beginning of the new academic session and hold up anyone caught ragging,” Bahari told IANS.

Most of the students in the squad are under-graduates, and there are some of the post-graduate level and from the Law Faculty, she said.

DUSU has also spoken to college principals and hostel wardens and put up posters in the colleges informing students about the Supreme Court directive.

Plans are afoot to also launch a helpline for new students so that they can get help if ragged and get counselling.

More than 20 colleges under DU will install CCTV cameras in the vicinity of their colleges in order to check ragging and eve-teasing. The cameras will be installed in a month’s time.

Delhi University Proctor Gurmeet Singh said earlier: “This year, more than 20 colleges will install CCTV cameras to monitor and check activities such as ragging and eve-teasing. The presence of the CCTV cameras is not going to be publicised as we want to take the offenders by surprise”.

Bahari added: “The CCTV cameras will be a big boon since they will help nab culprits. They will be installed in less than a month’s time.”

[HT] Video campaign to curb ragging

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Swaha Sahoo,
New Delhi, July 14, 2008
Last Updated: 02:42 IST(14/7/2008)

For students, teachers and freshers of Delhi University, the message against ragging might be given through a video this session. Packed with images of youth and fun and backed with statistics on the dark side of ragging, the video has been made by NGO CURE (Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education).

CURE has been working closely with the Raghavan Committee, set up by the Supreme Court to monitor the measures being taken to prevent ragging in educational institutes across India.

“We plan to go to colleges and show the video to freshers, seniors and teachers so that they are sensitised towards what consist healthy interaction and how a simple joke might prove fatal for someone,” said Harsh Aggarwal, a member.

The video, which can also be accessed at www.noragging.com/video is based on detailed research by CURE. “Despite the Raghavan Committee guidelines, 89 cases of severe ragging were reported in 2007-08. There were 11 deaths and another five attempted suicides,” said Harsh.

Out of these cases, 21 per cent were of sexual abuse, 43 per cent led to physical injury while the rest were of verbal abuse. In 50 per cent cases police had intervened. “A comparison benchmark (statistics of last five years) reveals that nothing has changed. Rather the annual average in the last five years was 46 and there were 5.6 number of deaths,” said Harsh. “So we need more stringent measures to curb incidents of ragging,” he said.

[ToI] Ragtime blues: DU does a clampdown

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NEW DELHI: If it's friendly ragging that you've been looking forward to with the start of the academic session from July 16, here's a dampener. Delhi University has sent out the message loud and clear to colleges — ragging is not to be allowed. As part of a series of measures based on recommendations of the R K Raghavan committee, colleges will this year not only appoint disciplinary squads, but also step up mobile patrolling in the campus by the Delhi police.

The steps, which have been made mandatory for all colleges, include restricted entry in both hostels and colleges, as well as setting up of a formal redressal system, where students complaints are to be dealt with immediately. Hostels in particular are to be kept under strict vigil, with the university asking college authorities to ensure that regular and unannounced inspections are made. The university in fact has asked colleges not to allow guests to stay in the hostel in the initial few weeks of reopening of the college in the academic session.

Added M M Rehman, deputy proctor, DU, "Delhi police will also be helping us implement these measures. Pickets, especially in front of women's colleges, will be put up and any act of indiscipline and ragging will be dealt with strictly under the university's statutes and ordinances." Sealed complaint boxes are also to be put up in colleges, so that students can file complaints without revealing their identity if they so wish, he added. Extra vigil is also to be kept at all eating joints in the campus area, so that ragging outside college premises does not occur.

The university has also set up two joint control rooms, one each in the north and south campus (north campus: 011-27667221 and south campus: 011-24119832) to take care of complaints that come in.

Colleges meanwhile are also gearing up. Said Ramjas principal, Rajendra Prasad, "We had implemented many of the anti-ragging steps last year itself. A private security agency had been appointed to ensure that security is maintained and to strictly check all identity cards." This year too, the college plans to hand out booklets to new students which will spell out the provisions and rules on ragging in the university. The college will also set up two mobile numbers — of the principal and the administrative in-charge — which will be prominently displayed so students can file any complaints.

Others are following suit. Said a senior teacher in SRCC, "Over the past few years, ragging has been replaced by friendly interactions with senior students. In the hostel though, some incidents of ragging do happen, which is what the college will be keeping a strict eye on this year."

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[PunjabNewsline] INSO to constitute anti-ragging cell in Punjab varsity

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Punjab Newsline Network
Thursday, 10 July 2008

CHANDIGARH: Indian National Students Organisation (INSO) has decided to constitute a Anti-Ragging cell to curb the menace of ragging of students.

INSO PU campus chairman, Sukhdev Kundu said that INSO activists would ensure that no ragging or disrespect is done to any new student. The menace of ragging raises its ugly head every year as soon as the new session begins in educational institutes and it is the duty of every student that no such things should happen this year in the PU and its colleges, he added.

INSO leader said that INSO would also educate the students about the ill-effects of ragging and its ramification. He said that only last year a student of Government Medical College, Sector 32 had allegedly committed suicide. In view of this, INSO has decided to launch a special campaign against the ragging as it was against the principles of humanity and equality. INSO, which always works for the welfare of students community, has decided to curb this menace with the help of the students itself, he further added.

INSO has started an Anti-Ragging helpline round the clock in all educational institutes of Chandigarh so that fresher students can take help of their seniors when they encounter any such situation. INSO activists would sort out any such matter. This helpline will work 24 hours and the numbers issued by INSO Chandigarh Unit are 9815727470, 9814300049, 9876010307, 9915230813, 9876092345, 9872960887.

Kundu said that students can call these help line numbers at any time and students would never find themselves alone at any point of time during their entire session.

[ExpressIndia] PU not to spare those found guilty of ragging

Express News Service
Posted online: Saturday , July 05, 2008 at 02:49:05

Chandigarh, July 04 In a meeting held to discuss the problems related to ragging, Dean Social Welfare Professor Naval Kishore today said that no one would be spared if found ragging on the campus. The university has decided to divide the campus into five parts for better monitoring.

The meeting discussed the recommendations of the Raghav Committee stating that an FIR should be registered against anyone found guilty of ragging. It has decided to register and maintain details of hostel students online. Different teams will be formed to take stock of different hostels and surprise checks will be conducted by them during night.

Talking to Newsline, Professor Naval Kishore said, “We have decided to buffer up the security system from this year and both girls as well as the boys hostels will be under the scanner and ragging of any type will not be tolerated. The university is all set to take the strictest action against the ones involved in ragging.” Another issue discussed today was regarding the working of the CCTV Camers. Vice-Chancellor Professor R C Sobti said that the cameras should be repaired at the earliest as they can be of great help in tracking those involved.

[Telegraph] Fight against ragging, in cinemas

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CHARU SUDAN KASTURI

New Delhi, June 28: Updating your ragging arsenal for the new batch? Time to visit the nearest cinema.

Movie theatres will screen 20-second audio-visual clips from next month to discourage ragging, a vexing nation-wide phenomenon that has destroyed careers and pushed students into taking their own lives.

Top government officials told The Telegraph that anti-ragging advertisements would flash at movie theatres across the country from July, ahead of the coming academic session. Most colleges start new sessions in July or August.

But enter the show late, or slip out for popcorn during interval, and you could risk missing the ads. The messages — which sources said would include warnings to those contemplating ragging and also detail steps a victim can take — will be screened before the start of films and during the interval.

According to the Coalition to Uproot Ragging in Education (CURE), 52 cases were reported in the last academic session, including six that ended in suicides.

The Centre officially uses data supplied by CURE, the only non-government organisation that keeps track of ragging cases.

Some officials, however, say the first attempt by the government to use film screenings to spread awareness about the scourge may prove little more than a blink-and-miss campaign.

The move followed a tongue-lashing from a Supreme Court-appointed panel earlier this month, which blasted the human resource development ministry for “inaction”.

The ministry then finalised a Rs 6-crore media campaign through cinemas, television channels and newspapers.

“Till last year, we released messages only in newspapers. But we realised that our target group — college students — are more attracted to the audio-visual medium,” an HRD official said.

Sources said the messages, to be screened in theatres and on television channels, were ready last year, too, but couldn’t be implemented as the budget for the campaign prepared by the government’s Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) had not been cleared.

“But the audio-visual medium has its drawbacks... it is expensive, and messages vanish from the screen after 20 seconds, only to reappear after some time, unlike print,” a ministry official said.

Government officials, however, say this year’s attempt “is a start”.

“We have no choice. Most youngsters see television and movies more often than they read newspapers. And this year’s experience will only help us improve the campaign the next time round,” said a DAVP official involved with the campaign.

The government had got cracking after a directive from the apex court in a 2001 case. The HRD ministry appointed a seven-member panel, headed by former CBI director R.K. Raghavan, to work out a strategy to curb the menace.

The committee last year submitted its guidelines, which were upheld by the court in an interim order. The guidelines allowed a victim to file an FIR if his institute failed to take action against the offender.

The committee also asked regulatory bodies like the University Grants Commission and the All India Council of Technical Education to cut funding of institutions that didn’t investigate ragging allegations.

But neither the UGC nor the AICTE and other higher education regulators linked funding of institutes to implementation of the Raghavan panel guidelines.

At a meeting earlier this month at the HRD ministry headquarters in Delhi, Raghavan ordered the regulators to frame “detailed” guidelines to ensure that affiliated institutes followed the anti-ragging panel’s guidelines.

[NewIndPress] ‘Severe action against ragging’

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Thursday June 26 2008 12:02 IST
D Daniel Raj

COIMBATORE: ‘Ragging will kill peace and joy.’ - reads the caption on a hoarding put at a private college on the outskirts of the city.

This academic year, colleges under the Bharathiar University (BU) have displayed hoardings and banners with the intention of putting the message across and curbing ragging on college campuses.

Along with the message, there is a warning and the punishment for those who indulge in ragging.

This is after the University Grants Commission (UGC), has come heavily on ragging and instructed all academic institutions to display such messages.

The boards are kept near the hostels and at the entrance to the college campus.

Some colleges have already held a meeting with the senior students and instructed them not to indulge in any ‘untoward incidents.’

The boards also mention the officials to be contacted along with their contact numbers.

In fact, the college prospectus or brochures should contain the number of ragging cases that took place on their campuses in the previous academic year and also the punishments awarded to them.

A source said that since the brochures were already printed,the direction from the UGC could not be included.

"We have put up three boards in prominent places, including one at the hostel, warning against ragging," said viceprincipal C K Venkatesh of CMS College of Science and Commerce, here, while talking to Express over phone.

"We have also obtained an undertaking from parents that their wards will not indulge in ragging," Venkatesh pointed out.

The first year students would be given the contact numbers of the heads of departments.

Vice-Chancellor of BU, Prof G Thiruvasagam, said all the colleges would be following the directive.

"In case of any ragging, the principal of the college will be held responsible as the Act on ragging is very powerful," Thiruvasagam said.

Accordingly, instructions have been given to all regulatory bodies like the UGC, All India Council for Technical Education and Medical Council of India for inclusion of a clause in the prospectus regarding punishment to students with expulsion etc, if found guilty of ragging.

[Telegraph] School tips to block bullies

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OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Reputed city schools have started counselling Plus II students to help them handle ragging in college and to ensure that they themselves don’t rag their juniors.

Ragging is rare in schools, but the authorities of many ISC and CBSE institutions feel that counselling sessions will stop students from taking part in ragging when they are in college.

“Some students have the tendency to bully others. We keep an eye on students of Classes XI and XII who show such an inclination. Special counselling sessions are also organised for these students. They are told about the consequences they will have to face if they rag juniors in college or university,” said the principal of St James School, Terence Ireland.

According to the school heads, the sessions will also help students deal with mental and physical torture by seniors in the first year of college.

Ragging has been banned by the central and the state governments. Colleges and universities in West Bengal have set up special committees to prevent ragging. Almost every college and university now takes a written undertaking from students during admission, stating that they will not take part in ragging. But such measures have failed to curb the offence.

Two students of Jadavpur University were punished last year for ragging a junior. A student of Bengal Engineering and Science University fell off a balcony of a hostel, allegedly while trying to escape being ragged by seniors.

School principals feel that regulatory measures are not enough.

“Students must learn to respect the dignity of others from a young age. We have decided to organise regular counselling sessions to sensitise senior students about human rights so that they do not rag juniors in college,” said Anindita Chatterjee, the principal of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

The Raghavan Committee constituted by the Supreme Court in 2002 to suggest ways to prevent ragging in educational institutions suggested to the government that the process of motivating students against ragging should begin in school. The panel’s views prompted some of the schools to start the counselling sessions.

“We have not received any complaint about any of our former students ragging juniors in college. Still, we have decided to incorporate chapters in our value education course to help students develop the habit of respecting others. These lessons will create awareness against ragging,” said Mukta Nain, the principal of Birla High School for Boys.

[IndiaEduNews] All India Council for Technical Education - Prevention of Ragging in Technical Institutions

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Date of Issue: Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Prevention of Ragging in Technical Institutions

The Supreme Court of India in Writ Petition No. (C) 656/1998 directed that the ragging in educational institutions should be prevented and appropriate measures should be taken by AICTE for prevention of ragging in technical educational institutions.

Accordingly, the Council has published a circular in its website www.aicte.ernet.in directing the technical institutions to ensure that the ragging does not take place in their campuses in any form and that if such cases are reported to the Council, necessary action including withdrawal of approval shall be taken. The institutions imparting technical education are advised to take necessary measures for prevention of ragging in any form in their campuses. Students, their parents and the general public are advised to report to the Council, instances of ragging in any form in institutions imparting technical education for taking appropriate action by the Council.

Institutions are further advised to insert a footnote that "Ragging is Prohibited as per the decision of the Supreme Court of India in Writ Petition No. (C) 656/1998" in all their advertisements. This warning must also find a prominent display in their prospectus/ brochure. -:


(Dr. K. Narayana Rao)
Member Secretary

All India Council for Technical Education

(A STATUTORY BODY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA)

7th FLOOR CHANDERLOK BUILDING, JANPATH, NEW DELHI -110 001

Ph : (011) 23724151-57
Fax:(011)23724183
Website : www.aicte.ernet.in

[DeccanHerald] Crack down on ragging: UGC

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DH News Service, New Delhi:

Here is good news for first year students especially those who are scared to enter the campuses for fear of being ragged. Various regulatory bodies have issued instructions to colleges to take stern action against ragging.

If institutions have failed to end the menace on their campuses, they may have to lose their affiliation.

With the new academic year all set to start soon, regulatory bodies such as University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) warned the institutions to cancel their approval, if the ragging incidents reported on the campuses.

While the UGC has issued a circular to all universities to instruct the colleges to strictly follow the measures suggested by the Raghavan panel, the AICTE has issued advertisements in newspapers in this regard. The AICTE has asked students, parents and public to report to it instances of ragging in any form in institutions imparting technical education.

UGC reminded registrars of all universities that they and the colleges should mention in their prospectus or brochures about the total number of ragging incidents that had taken place in their institutions each year.

Strict measures
Following a directive from the HRD Ministry, the UGC asked the institutions to erect suitable hoardings, bill boards or banners at prominent places within the campus asking students to prevent or not to indulge in ragging.

The institutions were asked to indicate names of officials and their telephone numbers to be contacted in case of ragging. A committee headed by the former CBI director Raghavan set up by the Supreme Court to monitor the measures being taken to prevent ragging in higher educational institutions has suggested ‘zero tolerance’ towards ragging.

The committee had asked the statutory regulatory bodies to direct educational institutions to incorporate in admission notices appropriate messages in this regard. The panel also suggested that incentives be given by way of higher grants to institutions that ensured ragging in any form not taking place on their campuses.

The Supreme Court had six months back directed universities and colleges to mention in their admission prospectus that students found indulged in ragging would be expelled from the institution.

It said the guidelines for ensuring ban of ragging in universities/colleges, will also apply to colleges under the Medical Council of India (MCI), Dental Council of India, polytechnics and those institutes under the Ministry of Agriculture.

[ET] Ragging may become a thing of the past

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15 Jun, 2008, 1017 hrs IST, PTI

NEW DELHI: First year students can hope to enter campuses without the fear of ragging if stringent measures suggested by an expert panel are implemented.

With the new academic session set to begin soon, various regulatory bodies like University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) have asked the institutions to take necessary measures to check any form of ragging on their campuses.

While the UGC has issued a circular to all universities to instruct the colleges to strictly follow the measures suggested by the Raghavan panel, the AICTE has issued advertisements in newspapers for the purpose.

Besides warning the institutions that their approval would be scrapped if any case of ragging was reported, the AICTE has asked students, parents and the public to report to it instances of ragging in any form in institutions imparting technical education.

The Raghavan committee set up by the apex court to monitor the measures being taken to prevent ragging in higher educational institutions has suggested 'zero tolerance' towards ragging.

The committee, headed by former CBI chief K Raghavan, asked the statutory regulatory bodies to direct educational institutions to incorporate in admission notices appropriate messages in this regard.

Noting that ragging lowered the standards of higher education, the committee felt that release of grants under various schemes of the UGC should be linked with the compliance of Supreme Court directives by the institutions.

[NDTV] DU to expel ragging offenders

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Sonia Sarkar
Saturday, June 14, 2008 (New Delhi)

According to new tough rules by the Supreme Court's committee, now any student found guilty of ragging will be expelled from Delhi University.

That's the recommendation of the Raghavan Committee appointed by the SC and it's likely to be approved.

''Students if caught ragging, will be expelled. This is a modification, and SC is likely pass a final order on this soon,'' said Rajendra Prasad, Raghavan Committee member.

Till now offenders were only being suspended.

Other problems revolved around the fact that students had to file an FIR with the police, which was often unresponsive.

''Students if they are victimised can go to police and the police will definitely help. So, we have informed Inspector General of police/Superintendant of police,'' said R K Raghvan, Chairman of the Committee.

Other anti-ragging devices include helplines for each college and 24X7 counselling in hostels and on campus with students and teachers.

''We will put number of CCTvs in the most vulnerable spots inside the college like hostel corridors, canteens, gardens etc,'' said There are other measures also, Rajendra Prasad, Ramjas College principal.

On record that's leading to a very politically correct atmosphere.

This is a much-needed reassurance for freshers.

''If seniors ask us to sing or dance, it is okay but I will not let them force me to do anything vulgar,'' said Sakshi, a DU aspirant.

In the last year, 70 cases of ragging have been reported from all over the country.

Most of them were not resolved and no action was taken, even inquiries weren't conducted.

This year, the onus is on colleges and on their leaders to prove to the apex court that they're serious about protecting new students.

[DNA] Govt for ‘zero tolerance’ approach to ragging

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Vineeta Pandey
Thursday, June 12, 2008 03:04 IST

With the new academic session all set to begin, the human resource development ministry (MHRD) wants all institutions to become zero tolerance campuses in respect of ragging.

Following a meeting with the RK Raghavan Committee on ragging, the MHRD has asked all regulatory bodies like the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Medical Council of India (MCI), Dental Council of India (DCI) and Nursing Council of India (NCI) to prepare specific and strict regulations to enforce anti-ragging measures in institutions under them.

The committee, appointed by the supreme court, took stock of the situation and reviewed the progress made by different regulatory bodies and other stakeholders who have been directed by the apex court to implement the recommendations of the committee on anti-ragging measures.

The ragging monitoring committee has suggested the government link the release of grants to institutions with the compliance of anti-ragging rules. Accordingly, institutes where cases of ragging are reported would face the threat of losing recognition and disaffiliation. On the other hand, institutes ensuring that ragging does not takes place in their campuses in any form may get incentives by way of higher grants. The committee also asked statutory regulatory bodies to direct educational institutions to incorporate in admission notices appropriate messages regarding ‘zero tolerance’ towards ragging. Wherever any incident of ragging is reported and institutions do not take adequate steps for redressing the grievance, regulatory bodies must conduct enquiries through fact-finding committees.

p_vineeta@dnaindia.net

[Rediff] Universities to step up anti-ragging measures

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June 11, 2008

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 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.

[ToI] Regulatory bodies have failed to check ragging: SC panel

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12 Jun 2008, 0324 hrs IST,TNN

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court-appointed RK Raghvan Committee to monitor ragging in colleges has severely criticized regulatory bodies like University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education and Medical Council of India for failing to regulate anti-ragging measures.

Speaking to TOI after a meeting on Wednesday, Raghvan said, "The committee is not exactly happy with the regulatory bodies. Instead of taking suo motu interest in implementing anti-ragging steps, they are acting more like a post-office." Raghvan pointed out, "In the US, every university declares the kind of crime taking place on the campus. It should be done in India also so that parents know how crime-free the campus is."

Underlining various reasons for the lacklustre performance of the regulatory bodies, Raghavan said, "Apart from having little machinery, regulatory bodies have become too close to educational organizations. They believe in tokenism. But I have told them in no uncertain terms to be proactive." He said the regulatory bodies should tell the colleges to adopt a zero tolerance approach towards ragging.

At the meeting, the committee told UGC to ensure that release of grants under various schemes is linked with compliance by institutions with the directions of the Supreme Court on ragging. On the other hand, institutions where no ragging takes place should be provided incentives. The committee told regulatory bodies that the SC is solidly behind them and therefore no effort should be spared to put an end to the menace.

The committee also asked the regulatory bodies to ensure that wherever any incident of ragging is reported and the institution does not take adequate steps for redressing the grievance, they (regulatory bodies) should conduct an inquiry through a fact-finding committee.

The HRD ministry has also been asked to come out with advertisements in the next few weeks as the admission season has begun. "There is no half-way house. The advertisements should make it clear that those who indulge in ragging would be thrown out of their institution. Parents of students should know it now."

[CalcuttaNews] Universities asked to print ragging statistics in prospectus

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Calcutta News.Net
Wednesday 11th June, 2008 (IANS)

Taking a strong view on incidents of ragging in educational institutions, the University Grants Commission (UGC) Wednesday asked the universities to specifically mention in their brochures and prospectus ragging cases and punishment awarded of those found guilty.

The UGC has also asked universities and other higher educational institutions to put up hoardings, billboards and banners within the campuses, urging students to prevent ragging. It has also asked universities to undertake other means to campaign against ragging.

Earlier, the Raghavan Committee, set up on the directions of the Supreme Court, had recommended that ragging be included as a special section in the Indian Penal Code. The UGC has already issued directions to the universities in this regard.

The committee had also 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 and prospectus of the higher educational institutions.

'The UGC is following the committee's decision to prevent ragging,' said a senior official in the union human resource development ministry.

[Telegraph] Squad-watch on ragging - Colleges in the state capital get ready to tackle jitters of juniors

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OUR CORRESPONDENT

Ranchi, June 4: College students would be under surveillance soon.

Jitters accompany junior students as they enter college for the first time; least they fall in the hands of seniors looking for fun in the name of ragging.

Colleges in the capital, however, are getting ready to tackle the menace prevalent in institutes across the country.

Each college in Ranchi has formed an anti-ragging squad to catch senior students indulging in ragging. The guilty would be handed over to the respective college’s anti-harassment cell for punitive action.

Colleges have also mentioned in their prospectus that students found ragging would be punished, as per UGC directive.

The anti-ragging squad would comprise four teachers and two students. They would keep a watch on classes, corridors and even hostels to keep ragging out of the campus.

Javed Ahmed, the principal of Marwari College, said newcomers find attending classes difficult due to ragging. This made them decide to form anti-ragging cells for girls and boys.

“Our college website talks about the anti-harassment cell and the anti-ragging squad so that the new students are aware of the situation. The informant would be displayed near the gate and on the notice board,” he added.

Principals said the steps would hopefully act as a deterrent to ragging.

The chairman of the boy’s anti-ragging squad at Marwari College, R.L. Ram, said many cases of ragging were reported last year.

“This year, our motive is to receive such cases and take corrective measures accordingly.”

The anti-ragging squad would also rope in parents to curtail ragging. “We will complain to the parents and after consulting them, will warn the students. If the youths do not stop such acts even after that, then they would be suspended,” Ram added.

Principals said rustication is also a punitive option.

Father Nicholas Tete, the principal of St Xavier’s College, said he has issued a notice to students asking them to refrain from ragging “so that newcomers feel at ease”.

“If senior students do not follow the rule we will call their parents and hand over punishment to the offenders,” he added.

Doranda College principal Ram Parvesh said they have mentioned in the prospectus that ragging was not welcome in the college.

“We have also formed a disciplinary committee to see that newcomers are not troubled,” he added.

[ToI] 'Students found guilty of ragging will be expelled'

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4 Jun 2008, 0530 hrs IST,TNN

LUCKNOW: The proctor of the Lucknow University on Tuesday issued series of instructions directing senior students not to indulge in any kind of harassment or ragging with the juniors or candidates coming for admissions.

The circular issued by the proctor also called upon the juniors to report any incident of harassment to the head of the department or at proctor office without fear. It also asked candidates seeking admissions not to get swayed by people promising out of way admissions. "The admissions would be strictly on merit and no other recommendation would be entertained," said proctor AN Singh.

The proctor also said that students found guilty of ragging would be expelled from the university and an FIR would also be lodged against them. Students have also been asked not to use any kind of psychotropic substance on the campus. Even chewing pan masala and smoking are prohibited. Outsiders are not allowed on the campus.