Anti-Ragging Laws

Ragging as we all know, is social interaction between seniors and juniors in schools and colleges. An interaction which can take very brutal, inhuman and anti-social form at times. Even some of the highly reputed colleges and institutions have a terrible history of ragging. Looking at all this, Anti-Ragging Laws are now very much necessary.

Some states in India have their own legislations on ragging. Some states which do not have their own legislation on ragging and therefore the ragging laws in these states are in accordance with the central legislations on ragging.

List of states who have legislation on ragging:

1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Maharashtra
3. Karnataka
4. Uttar Pradesh
5. Chandigarh
6. Tripura
7. Tamil Nadu
8. Assam
9. Kerala
10. West Bengal
11. Goa
12. Jammu and Kashmir

Central Legislations

The central legislations which check the practice of ragging in India are :

1. Indian Penal Code
2. UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009
3. Other institute specific regualtions

Indian Penal Code

There are provisions in the IPC which can be used by a student to register an FIR in the nearest Police Station. These provisions are:

1. 294 – Obscene acts and songs
2. 323 – punishment for voluntarily causing hurt
3. 324 – voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon or means
4. 325 – punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt
5. 326 – voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon
6. 339 – Wrongful Restraint
7. 340 – Wrongful Confinement
8. 341 – Punishment for Wrongful Restraint
9. 342 – Punishment for Wrongful Confinement
10. 506 – Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder

UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009 [Click here for complete regulations]

These regulations were passed by the University Grants Commission in the year 2009 to curb the menace of ragging in the Universities in India.

Regulation 6 talks about the measures for prevention of ragging at the institution level. It lays down the steps an institution has to follow during the admission and registration process. A student during the admission process has to file an affidavit along with his parents/guardian’s signature, stating that he will not be ragging other students directly or indirectly.  Also, the institution has to publish the names and contact numbers of Anti-ragging committee of the university.

Every fresh student admitted to the institution shall be given a printed leaflet detailing to whom he/she has to turn to for help and guidance for various purposes including addresses and telephone numbers, so as to enable the student to contact the concerned person at any time.

Regulation 6.3 says that every institution shall constitute a  committee to be known as the Anti-Ragging Committee to be nominated and headed by the Head of the institution, and consisting of representatives of civil and police administration, local media, Non-Government Organizations involved in youth activities, representatives of faculty members, representatives of parents, representatives of students  belonging  to the fresher’s category as well as senior students, non-teaching staff; and shall have a diverse mix of membership in terms of levels as well as gender. It shall be the duty of the Anti-Ragging Committee to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Regulations as well as the provisions of any law for the time being in force concerning ragging ; and also to monitor and oversee the performance of the Anti-Ragging Squad. It shall be the duty of the Anti-Ragging Squad to make surprise raids on hostels, and other places vulnerable to incidents of, and having the potential of, ragging.

Regulation 7 lays down that on receipt of any information concerning any reported incident of ragging, the Head of institution shall immediately determine if a case under the penal laws is made out and if so, either on his own or through a member of the Anti-Ragging Committee, proceed to file a First Information Report ( FIR), within twenty four hours of receipt of such information.

Regulation 9 lays down that The Anti-Ragging Committee of the institution shall take an appropriate decision, in regard to punishment or otherwise, depending on the facts of each incident of ragging and nature and gravity of the incident of ragging established in the recommendations of the Anti-Ragging Squad.

Others

Apart from the IPC and the UGC Regulations, there are other government bodies who have their own laws on ragging in their respective acts. For example the All India Council For Technical Education [AICTE] and the Medical Council of India have made their own regulations under their respective acts.

The AICTE has created “All India Council for Technical Education (Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Technical Institutions, Universities including Deemed to be Universities imparting technical education) Regulations 2009” under Section 23 and Section 10 of the AICTE Act, 1987.

Similarly, the Medical Council of India has made “Medical Council of India (Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges/Institutions) Regulations, 2009” under Section 33 of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.

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