[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080629/jsp/nation/story_9479251.jsp]

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.

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Posted By Ragging News to Ragging News from Indian Colleges - www.noragging.com at 6/30/2008 06:15:00 PM __._,_.___


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[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Regulatory_bodies_have_failed_to_check_ragging_SC_panel/rssarticleshow/3121790.cms]

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 t heir institution. Parents of students should know it now."

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Posted By Ragging News to Ragging News from Indian Colleges - www.noragging.com at 6/30/2008 06:04:00 PM __._,_.___


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[http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEO20080613004520&Page=O&Title=Thiruvananthapuram&Topic=0]

Friday June 13 2008 11:06 IST
Express News Service

T’PURAM: A youth was sentenced to six-and-a-half years imprisonment on Wednesday on charges of ragging his junior student at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital in 2001.

Shahid Mohammed, a native of Lakshadweep, who is now residing at Andaman, was sentenced by the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-5 judge G P Jayakrishnan.

Out of the six-and-a-half year imprisonment, the convict will have to under go five-and-a-half years rigorous imprisonment.

The incident pertaining to the case occurred in October 2001. The prosecution case was that Shahid had forcibly subjected a first-year student Neeraj Kumar Gupta of Chhattisgarh to unnatural sex.

The incident occurred near the college hostel. Shahid was dismissed from the college following the incident.

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Posted By Ragging News to Ragging News from Indian Colleges - www.noragging.com at 6/30/2008 06:06:00 PM __._,_.___


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[http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2008/06/29/fea01.asp]

Every citizen of Sri Lanka, belonging to any ethnic group, race, religion or caste or any social position should come within the existing law of the country. The Penal Code, Civil Procedure Code and other statutory laws subject certain human activities into criminal or civil liability. These precepts ensure the right to life and the freedom to live for all citizens.

Further, the human rights of citizens of Sri Lanka are protected in terms of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka which is the supreme law in the country. According to this Constitution, any citizen can produce a petition to the Supreme Court in terms of the article 126 of the Constitution in case of a human right violation or a case closer to the infringement.

The Constitution further highlights ruthless, brutal or contemptuous treatment to any party by another as a violation of human rights.

University students are also considered as citizens and are subjugated to the Common Law that prevails in the country. Accordingly, the constitutional constrains specified above are equally applicable to university students. Any form of civil or criminal offence executed by them are liable to be punished and in an instance of violation of such rights committed by university students, they shall be produced before the relevant Court and subject to suitable punishment that followed by the trial.

University education is the outcome of free education. It is a privilege for being able to acquire higher education gratuitously for Sri Lankan students who complete their secondary education successfully. Each student entering the University/Higher Educational Institution should prioritize the idea of reaping the best harvest out of it.

The Government allocates about Rs. 15 billion per year out of the decentralized budget on university education and a considerable sum is allocated on students’ learning needs. libraries, and other service facilities as well as the welfare needs. The students should be mindful to utilize the maximum use out of the money spent and complete their education successfully to step into the society as responsible human beings.

However, there has been an apparent increase in ragging in recent times and other forms of violence in the university system. In contrast to its original idea of making it an entertaining process to befriend the fresher, it has gradually become a strategy to fulfil various mental, physical and political needs of a certain group of people.

This is not a phenomenon that can be accepted in any civilized society. It has been revealed that a considerable number of university students has dropped out due to physical and mental disability caused by ragging. As a result a Parliament Act namely,

Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act, No. 20 of 1998 was passed.

As specified in the detailed note of the Act, it is identified as an Act to eliminate ragging and other forms of violent and cruel inhuman and degrading treatment from educational institutions.

In terms of the Act, ragging means ‘any act which causes or is likely to cause physical or psychological injury or mental pain or fear to a student or a member of the staff of an educational institution’.

The Act specifies the relevant Higher Educational Institutions coming under the Act and that includes all the Higher Educational Institutions established under the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978.

Provisions of the Act are as follows:

* Any person who commits or participates in ragging within or outside the Educational Institution, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and on conviction after summary trial be liable for a term not exceeding two years.

* The victim shall be paid a compensation of an amount determined by court in respect of the injuries caused to such person.

* If a sexual harassment or grievous hurt is caused whilst committing ragging the person is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years on conviction after a summary trial. In addition he may also be ordered to pay a compensation of an amount determined by Court to the victim.

* If the victim is threatened to cause injury to the person, reputation or property of some other person of whom the victim is interested, with the intention of causing fear in the victim or compelling the victim to do any act which the victim is not legally required to do, or to omit to do any act which the victim is entitled to do, shall be guilty of an offence and on conviction be liable for rigorous imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

* Any person restricting the personal liberty and the freedom of movement of any other person shall be guilty of an offence and be liable to rigorous imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

*Any person unlawfully obstructing the right to proceed in any direction of another person shall be liable to the above mentioned punishment.

* Any person unlawfully restricting the other person from proceeding beyond certain circumscribing limits can be punished as stated above.

* Any person occupying premises of an Educational Institution by force without a lawful excuse or causing damage to any such property shall be on conviction after a summary trial and can be imprisoned for terms not exceeding 10 years and 20 years respectively and shall be liable to a fine as stated in the Act.

* In addition to the above mentioned punishments the convict can be expelled from the institution by the Court. (Article 8)
* A special provision of the Act is that, if a person suspected or accused of committing an offence of sexual harassment or causing a serious injury whilst ragging in terms of Section 2 of Subsection (2) of the Act in an Educational Institution, he/she shall not be released on bail expect by the High Court.
* The provisions of this Act shall be made effective in addition to the provisions of the Penal Code and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Act No. 22 of 1994.

The above mentioned provisions clearly explain that convicts are subjugated to severe legal constraints. It is evident that the main intention of laying down restrictions over the act of bailing out is to ban inhuman acts from Educational Institutions.

In addition to these provisions, in terms of by Laws of each Higher Educational Institution, action can be taken against those who engage in inhuman and violent acts by that Institution.

The steps which a victim can follow are!

1. Inform the authorities of the Higher Educational Institution; and

2. Pave the way to Police to take actions under the above mentioned ragging Act by lodging an entry at the nearest Police Station.

Accordingly, a convict is liable to be subjugated to the punishment under the Act and other forms of punishments and fines ordered by the Court in accordance with the other legal provisions. Further, it is emphasized that the studentship is automatically cancelled and naturally is subjected to disgrace and insult.

The provisions made under Part XIV of the Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978 on establishing Student Unions and other Association are as follows:

* Section 112:-

1. Each Higher Educational Institution shall have a University Student Union.

2. Each Faculty of the Higher Educational Institution shall have a Faculty Student Union.

3. Selection of office bearers of these Unions and their activities should be defined by the Councils of the respective Higher Educational Institutions through by-laws.

* Section 115: Any Higher Educational Institution may recognize any Union, society or other associations of students of that Institution for the purpose of furthering academic or social objectives, provided that the membership of such union, society or other association consists entirely of students of that Institution.

* Section 118: If any union or society to other association of a Higher Educational Institution conducts itself in a manner, which, in the opinion of the principal executive officer of that Institution, obstructs the proper administration of that Institution, or acts in contravention of the Universities Act or any other union, such principal executive officer may suspend or dissolve such union, society or other association, as the case may be.

* Accordingly, it is emphasised that the students of the Higher Educational Institutions are authorized to establish only the following unions/societies and other associations:

1. University Students Union,

2. Faculty Students Unions and

3. Societies formed for the sole purpose of furthering academic or social objectives as stated in Section 115 of the Act.

* Any person manipulating students in the guise of Student Unions or disturbing the Management of the Higher Educational Institutions/Institutes or obstructing the education of same are liable to be severely punished under the prevailing civil law and the by-laws of the Higher Educational Institutions.

* Finally, the students are warned that they should not use the above unions/associations to achieve political objectives.

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Posted By Ragging News to Ragging News from Indian Colleges - www.noragging.com at 6/30/2008 06:16:00 PM __._,_.___


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[http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/01/stories/2008060160980100.htm]

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Anti-ragging drive on campuses in Ernakulam will be stepped up from the new academic year, thanks to the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) recent missive to Mahatma Gandhi University.

The university has been asked to submit a compliance report on the anti-ragging measures taken by them.

In a circular, the UGC made it clear that representatives of universities that fail to comply with the directives may have to appear before the Supreme Court in this context.

The decision came after the UGC found that the majority of the educational institutions are yet to implement the recommendations of the R.K. Raghavan Committee against ragging.

The circular also pointed out that the Raghavan Committee had taken a “serious view” of the slow progress being made in implementing these measures.

The committee directed every institution to have an anti-ragging committee and an anti-ragging squad at the earliest.
Surprise raids

The anti-ragging committee should consist of representatives of civil and police administration, local media, non-government organisations involved in youth activities, faculty members, parents, students belonging to the freshers’ category as well as seniors, and non-teaching staff and it should be headed by the head of the institution.

At the district-level, the committee recommended an anti-ragging committee consisting of the heads of higher education institutions as members. It should be headed by the District Collector/Deputy Commissioner/District Magistrate and should also have the Superintendent of Police/SSP of the district as a member.

It is learnt that the majority of educational institutions have not formed such committees on their campuses. The squad is supposed to conduct surprise raids on hostels and other “hot spots”.

Barring a few initiatives, no major attempt has been made to launch such lightning squads in government and self-financing colleges in the district.

Several colleges have failed to engage or seek the assistance of professional counsellors at the time of admissions to counsel freshers in order to prepare them for the life ahead, particularly for adjusting to the life in hostels.

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Posted By Ragging News to Ragging News from Indian Colleges - www.noragging.com at 6/30/2008 05:57:00 PM __._,_.___


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[http://www.indiaedunews.net/Announcement/show.asp?aid=1070]

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, nec essary 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

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Posted By Ragging News to Ragging News from Indian Colleges - www.noragging.com at 6/30/2008 06:11:00 PM __._,_.___


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[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080621/jsp/calcutta/story_9439485.jsp]

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.

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Posted By Ragging News to Ragging News from Indian Colleges - www.noragging.com at 6/30/2008 06:12:00 PM __._,_.___


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[http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Ragging_may_become_a_thing_of_the_past/rssarticleshow/3130552.cms]

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 meas ures 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.

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Posted By Ragging News to Ragging News from Indian Colleges - www.noragging.com at 6/30/2008 06:09:00 PM __._,_.___


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