Ensure raggingfree campuses, UGC tells univs, colleges

:The University Grants Commission (UGC) has sent a reminder to colleges and universities to ensure ragging- free campuses well in advance as the new session is a few months away at these institutions. The commission in its latest letter to the colleges and universities directed them to pull their socks up so that not even a single case of ragging was reported from there.

To sensitise the students, the country’s higher education regulator has prepared four short films and documentary films to counsel students about the ill effects of ragging. The films have been uploaded on the UGC website. In its letter, the UGC has also suggested colleges to screen these films during their orientation programmes. The letter also says that the colleges and universities be prepared to initiate strict action against all those found engaged in the unsavoury practice. Despite several guidelines, cases of ragging are reported from colleges and universities every year. Even in September last year, an FIR was lodged against 36 boys in Jankipuram police station. Lucknow University had also launched an antiragging app but to no avail.

WHAT CONSTITUTES RAGGING?

Ragging constitutes one or more of the following acts:

Any conduct by any student, whether by words spoken or written or by an act, which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness a fresher or any other student.

Indulging in rowdy activities thereby causing annoyance, hardship, physical or psychological harm to a fresher or any other student.

Asking any student to do any act, which the student would not do in the ordinary course and something that generates a sense of shame or torment.