Ragging Deaths in India

Syllabus: GS2/ Governance

Context

• Ragging remains a deeply entrenched issue in India’s higher education institutions, despite Supreme Court guidelines and University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations aiming to curb it.

What is Ragging?

• Ragging is any act of physical or psychological abuse usually by senior students toward juniors under the pretext of initiation or camaraderie. 
• It ranges from verbal abuse and forced tasks to extreme physical torture and sexual exploitation.

Menace of Ragging in Education institutions

• According to records accessed through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 78 deaths have been attributed to ragging from 2012 to 2023. 
• The UGC’s dedicated helpline has logged over 8,000 complaints in the past decade, with cases rising by 208% between 2012 and 2022.

Government Steps to Curb Ragging

• Supreme Court Guidelines: In 2009, the Supreme Court of India ordered the implementation of a ragging prevention program. The program included the following steps:
  • Anti-ragging helpline: A toll-free helpline or call center to be set up.
  • Regulations: Directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to frame regulations to curb ragging in higher education institutions.
  • Anti-ragging committee: Mandated the UGC to constitute an Anti-Ragging Committee and an Anti-Ragging Squad.
• In a landmark verdict, the Vishwa Jagriti Mission v. Central Government & Others, 2001, the Supreme Court made ragging a punishable offense and mandated strict institutional measures.
• Role of NGOs: Organizations like Society Against Violence in Education (SAVE) actively track cases and push for legal action against institutions.
• UGC Anti-Ragging Regulations (2009): UGC established a 24×7 anti-ragging helpline and mandated annual affidavits from students and parents against ragging.
  • It allowed UGC to withdraw funding from non-compliant institutions.
• Raghavan Committee in 2007 was constituted by the Supreme Court of India to address the menace of ragging in educational institutions.
  • The committee recommended treating ragging as a punishable criminal offense under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Reasons for Persisting Ragging

• Lack of Stringent Implementation: The Supreme Court issued anti-ragging guidelines 15 years ago, but they have largely remained on paper.
  • UGC regulations mandate action against colleges that fail to prevent ragging, but the regulatory body has not invoked these provisions since the helpline’s establishment in 2009.
• Unaccountable System: Victims often struggle with an ad hoc, non-transparent process where complaints are not adequately addressed.
• Institutional Inaction: Despite the mandate for Anti-Ragging Squads and surprise inspections, the UGC does not maintain any record of actions taken. 
• Low Compliance: UGC guidelines require students to submit anti-ragging affidavits annually, yet RTI data shows that only 4.49% of students have done so in the past decade.
• Failure in Legal Enforcement: Institutions are required to file an FIR within 24 hours of a ragging complaint, but UGC does not track compliance with this directive.

Way Ahead

• Strict Enforcement of Guidelines: Authorities must ensure full implementation of Supreme Court and UGC regulations, holding institutions accountable for lapses.
• Technology-Based Solutions: Expanded CCTV surveillance in campuses to deter ragging incidents.
  • Secure online portals and ID-based dashboards to enable anonymous reporting by victims.
• Legal Clarity: There is need for amendments in laws to ensure strict penalization of offenders, including faculty or management complicit in ignoring complaints.

Source: IE