Other suggested tile for the essay are
1 Ragging: A Social Evil that Needs to be Eradicated
2 The Impact of Ragging on the Academic and Personal Growth of Students
(Intro) Ragging is a serious issue that affects many educational institutions in India. It is a form of abuse, harassment, or humiliation that is inflicted on new or junior students by senior students. Ragging can have negative physical, psychological, and emotional consequences for the victims, and sometimes even lead to death by suicide.
Ragging in educational institutes
Ragging is illegal in India and there are strict laws and regulations to prevent and punish it. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued anti-ragging guidelines that prohibit any act of ragging on the basis of colour, race, religion, caste, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, appearance, nationality, regional origins, linguistic identity, place of birth, place of residence or economic background. The UGC also launched a toll-free anti-ragging helpline in 2009 to help students in distress and take action against the perpetrators.
However, despite these measures, ragging cases are still prevalent in many colleges and universities across the country. According to the UGC's anti-ragging cell data, 511 complaints of ragging were registered in India in 2021. Medical colleges lead in ragging complaints, with most from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Some of the recent incidents of ragging that have shocked the nation are:
Recent incidents of Ragging
1 A 20-year-old student's partially decomposed body was found in a hostel room at IIT Kharagpur on October 14, 2022. It was later revealed that he was physically and mentally harassed by a group of seniors.
2 A 20-year-old fifth-year BTech student of IIT Guwahati died by suicide and his body was found hanging in his room on October 10, 2022.
3 A student from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) died by suicide on September 15, 2022.
4 A student was brutally thrashed during ragging by seniors at Noida College on August 28, 2022.
5 Incidents of bullying came to light at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, Indore Medical College, Nagpur Govt. Medical College, a polytechnic institute in Amethi, and many more campuses in 2022.
Ragging is a menace that needs to be eradicated from the educational system in India. It violates the human dignity and rights of the students and hampers their academic and personal growth. Ragging is not a fashion or a tradition that should be followed blindly. It is an abuse that should be condemned and resisted by all.
Responsibility of authorities
The responsibility of curbing ragging lies not only with the authorities but also with the students themselves. The students should be aware of their rights and duties and report any incidents of ragging to the concerned officials or the anti-ragging helpline. They should also support and help their fellow students who are victims of ragging and provide them with emotional and psychological assistance. The students should also refrain from indulging in any form of ragging themselves and respect the diversity and individuality of their peers.
Way Ahead
The way ahead for preventing ragging is to create a culture of mutual respect, tolerance, and harmony among the students. The institutions should also take proactive steps to sensitize the students about the ill-effects of ragging and promote healthy interactions and activities among them. The institutions should also implement the anti-ragging guidelines strictly and take stern action against any violators. The institutions should also provide counseling and guidance services to the students who are affected by ragging or are prone to it.Ragging is a serious issue that needs to be eradicated from the educational system in India. It violates the human dignity and rights of the students and hampers their academic and personal growth. Ragging is not a fashion or a tradition that should be followed blindly. It is an abuse that should be condemned and resisted by all.
Ragging is a social evil that has no place in a civilized society. It is a challenge that can be overcome by collective efforts and awareness. Let us join hands to make our educational institutions safe and conducive for learning and growth for all.
Anti Ragging Laws in India
Ragging was introduced to India during the British colonial rule, and was initially confined to English and Army colleges. It was done as a joke or a prank, without any violence or harm. However, with the influence of media and the opening of private medical and engineering colleges in India, ragging took a terrible form in the 1980s and 1990s. It involved physical and mental torture, sexual abuse, extortion, and humiliation of the junior students by the seniors. Ragging cases were reported mostly from South India, especially Tamil Nadu, where many student suicides occurred due to ragging.
In 1997, Tamil Nadu became the first state to pass laws related to ragging. It banned ragging completely and imposed severe penalties for the offenders.
In 2001, the Supreme Court of India banned ragging across India, in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Vishwa Jagriti Mission. The court also directed all the educational institutions in the country to strictly follow the anti-ragging guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Medical Council of India (MCI), and other regulatory bodies.
According to the anti-ragging laws in India, ragging is defined as any disorderly conduct by words or acts that causes annoyance, hardship, or psychological harm to any student; or any act that forces a student to do something against his/her will; or any act that affects the physique or psyche of a student adversely.
The anti-ragging laws also prescribe various punishments for ragging, such as suspension or expulsion from the institution, cancellation of admission or degree, fine up to Rs. 2.5 lakh, imprisonment up to three years, or both. The laws also mandate that every incident of ragging must be reported to the police and registered as an FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The IPC has provisions for offences such as obscene acts and songs, voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt, wrongful restraint or confinement, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, etc., which can be used to prosecute raggers.
Despite these laws and regulations, ragging cases are still prevalent in many colleges and universities across India. According to the UGC's anti-ragging cell data, 511 complaints of ragging were registered in India in 2021. Medical colleges lead in ragging complaints, with most from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Anti Ragging Campaigns
Some of the anti-ragging campaigns in India are:
1 Anti Ragging | Ragging in college | Anti Ragging Affidavit: This is a website that provides information and assistance to students who are victims of ragging or want to prevent it. It also allows students to file online affidavits against ragging and register complaints on a toll-free helpline. The website is supported by the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), and other regulatory bodies.
2 Bus Aur Nahin: This was a nationwide campaign against ragging that was started by college students across the city in 2009. The campaign aimed to collect about a lakh signatures vowing to not rag their juniors. The campaign also organized street plays, rallies, workshops, and seminars to spread the message of anti-ragging.
3 C4Y: This is an organization that monitors the 24x7 anti-ragging helpline, compliances, technological support and creates awareness to demote ragging in universities, colleges across India. It also conducts surveys, research, and advocacy on the issue of ragging and its impact on students.
4 Anti-Ragging Awareness Campaign: This was a campaign that was organized by the Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science in 2018. More than 1250 students participated in this campaign and rally that started from the MGR Auditorium and ended at the Edison Centre. The campaign also distributed pamphlets, stickers, badges, and posters to create awareness among the students and staff.
Punishment
The anti-ragging laws also prescribe various punishments for ragging, such as suspension or expulsion from the institution, cancellation of admission or degree, fine up to Rs. 2.5 lakh, imprisonment up to three years, or both. The laws also mandate that every incident of ragging must be reported to the police and registered as an FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The IPC has provisions for offences such as obscene acts and songs, voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt, wrongful restraint or confinement, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, etc., which can be used to prosecute raggers
Some states in India have their own legislations on ragging. For example, Tamil Nadu became the first state to pass laws related to ragging in 1997. It banned ragging completely and imposed severe penalties for the offenders