Strictly enforce anti-ragging regulations: Raghavan panel

The Committee was appointed by the Supreme Court

Court had directed that the panel’s report be implemented

NEW DELHI: The Raghavan Committee has asked regulatory bodies to strictly enforce anti-ragging regulations and ensure that educational institutions were no-tolerance campuses in respect of ragging.

The Committee, appointed by the Supreme Court for monitoring the measures to prevent ragging in higher educational institutions, met here on Wednesday to review the progress made by regulatory bodies and stakeholders.

They had been directed by the court to implement the recommendations of the committee’s report on anti-ragging measures.

The committee felt that release of grants under schemes of the University Grants Commission (UGC) should be linked to compliance by institutions with the directions of the Supreme Court in this regard.

Incentives by way of larger grants should be provided by the Commission to higher educational institutions which ensure that ragging in any form does not take place on their campuses.

The Committee also asked the regulatory bodies to direct educational institutions to incorporate in admission notices appropriate messages regarding ‘zero tolerance’ towards ‘ragging.’

The Committee reiterated that as the Supreme Court has upheld the recommendation that ragging lowered the standards of higher education, each regulatory body responsible for maintaining standards of higher education was required to ensure that the directions of the Court were strictly complied with.

If institutions do not take adequate steps for redressing grievances when an incident of ragging is reported, the regulatory bodies must conduct enquiries through fact finding committees, the committee observed.

Since the academic session is to commence shortly, the Committee urged the Centre to take up intensive multi-media publicity campaign to reinforce anti-ragging measures as directed by the Supreme Court.

The UGC representative informed the Committee that a cell had been formed in the Commission to look after the matters relating to ragging in universities and colleges. The visiting committee, set up by the UGC for the 11th Plan Development assistance, shall be responsible for sensitising the institutions against ragging.