Anti-Ragging

Introduction

Ragging is widespread menace in higher educational institutions including nursing. Media has been reporting the incidences of ragging in these institutions resulting in suicides, violence, physical injuries, sexual abuse and psychological disorders. Many more students are subjected to this inhuman and barbaric behavior which usually goes unreported.

Various regulatory bodies have given their recommendations to curb the menace of ragging in educational institutions. Separate guidelines have also been issued by the Medical Council of India and the University Grant Commission in the country in this regard.

Objectives

General Objective

• To make sunder Devi nursing college “Zero Tolerance for Ragging” and Ragging free Zone by weeding out ragging in all its forms.

Specific Objectives

• To absolutely prohibit ragging within or outside the college campus.
• To prevent the occurrence of ragging by following anti ragging measures in the institution.
• To provide punishment to those indulging in ragging as per the guidelines.
• To sensitize students, staff and parents to adopt measures that will prevent ragging.

Definitions

For the purposes of these Regulations

“Educational Institution” means Sunder Devi Nursing imparting Medical Education as notified by the Madhya Pradesh government in the Official Gazette.

“Officer-in-Charge” means and includes persons appointed as:

• Principal of the college
• Head of the hostels
• Dean of faculty
• Heads of teaching departments
• Student Association
• Librarian of the college.

“Ragging” means the following:

Any act, conduct or practice by which dominant power of senior students, former students or outsiders, is brought to bear on students freshly enrolled or students who are in any way considered junior by other students and includes individual or collective acts or practices which:

• Involve physical or psychological assault or threat or use of force or wrongful confinement or restraint; or
• Expose students to ridicule and contempt and affect their self-esteem; or
• Entail verbal abuse and aggression, indecent gesture and obscene behavior.

“Appropriate Authorities” means the following:

• chairman/director of SDNC
• Principal of SDNC

Causes and locations of Ragging

Causes of ragging

The main causes for indulging in ragging are:

• Eagerness of seniors to show off their power, authority and superiority.
• Attitude of backlash: a “do-unto-others what others did to you.”

Causes for the increase in the incidence of ragging

Among the main causes, one can cite the following:

• Lack of morality, erosion of values and discipline.
• Lack of authorities on the part of teachers.
• Lack of interest and involvement in such matters among majority of faculty members.
• Fear among students subjected to ragging that the Head of the Departments and others may be pressurized later on for withdrawal of complaints or for revocation of the orders of punishment.
• Fear that they and/or their family members may be harassed and victimized by the perpetrators of this menace.
• Indulgence of parents with too much money to students leading to incidence of drinking, drug abuse etc.
• Easy access to Alcohol and other psychoactive substances in the campus.
• Hushing up or downplaying of the reported cases by the authorities.

Vulnerable locations for ragging

Ordinarily, places which are most vulnerable for ragging are:

• Hostel blocks and mess,
• Vacant class rooms.
• Hospital,
• Canteen,
• Stadium or playground,
• Student activity centers,
• Bus stands.
• Favorite joints of students in the vicinity.

Prohibition of Ragging

Ultimate objective of these regulatory measures will be to make this campus Ragging free and “Zero Tolerance for Ragging Campus”.

• No person shall practice ragging in any form, within or outside the premises of the college.

Roles and Responsibilities

Preventing the menace of ragging in the college and making the campus Zero Ragging Zone will be the moral responsibility and accountability of the entire institution starting from the principal to the lowest level employee. Such person shall be bound to take immediate action if any case of ragging is noticed or brought to the notice or reported to any staff of the institution.

This will include teaching as well as non teaching staff. Non Teaching staff has to be incorporated in Anti Ragging Squad of the college.

Anti ragging complaints, in whatever form or from whatever source these may emanates, shall be dealt with immediately and appropriately. The action will also be conveyed to the appropriate authorities. The identity of the complainant will be kept confidential.

In all cases a First Information Report (FIR) will be filed without exception by the college authorities with the local Police authority.

Any decision of the parent/guardian to file their own FIR directly will not absolve the college authorities from filing their own FIR.

Such incidents will also be reported to the district administration like, SDM, Deputy Commissioner, the media and the state authorities.

Any person who contravenes the above provisions shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or a fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees, or with both.

Every offence shall be cognizable, non reliable and compoundable with the permission of the court.

The head of the institution or an officer, directly or primarily in-charge of supervision for the proper maintenance of discipline in the college, if knowingly omits to check and report or connives or abets the commission of the offence (Para 3.3), shall be punished for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to twenty five thousand rupees, or with both.

Whenever any student or, as the case may be, the parents or guardian or a teacher, the non teaching staff or an Officer-in-Charge makes a complaint, in writing, of ragging to the principal, the principal shall, without prejudice to the foregoing provisions, within 24 hours of the receipt of the complaint, enquire into it and, if, prima facie, it is found true, suspend the student found guilty.

Where, on enquiry by the principal, it is proved that prima facie there is no substance in the complaint of ragging; he shall intimate the fact, in writing, to the complainant.

The anti ragging punishment will vary from:

• Imprisonment
• Permanent Expulsion from the institution
• Suspension from the institution
• Permanent Expulsion from Hostel
• Suspension from Hostel
• Fine with a public apology
• Fine
• Withholding of any form of financial grant (scholarship etc)
• Withholding of result of examination
• Debarring from representation in college events

Anti Ragging Regulations will also be got printed in the form of booklet and will be given to the students and the parents at the time of admission. It will also form an important part of any information given to students before admission, during admission and after admission.

They will give their informed undertaking in the form of an affidavit based on these regulations.