When may we call it Ragging?

UGC definition of ragging     [Please read the "Disclaimer" ]

According to the ‘UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009’ * (which shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette),
 “ Ragging constitutes one or more of any of the following acts:

a.      any conduct by any student or students 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;

b.     indulging in rowdy or indisciplined activities by any student or students which causes or is likely to cause annoyance, hardship, physical or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in any fresher or any other student;

c.      asking any student to do any act which such student will not in the ordinary course do and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame, or torment or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of such fresher or any other student;

d.     any act by a senior student that prevents, disrupts or disturbs the regular academic activity of any other student or a fresher;

e.      exploiting the services of a fresher or any other student for completing the academic tasks assigned to an individual or a group of students.

f.        any act of financial extortion or forceful expenditure burden put on a fresher or any other student by students;

g.     any act of physical abuse including all variants of it: sexual abuse, homosexual assaults, stripping, forcing obscene and lewd acts, gestures, causing bodily harm or any other danger to health or person;

h.     any act or abuse by spoken words, emails, post, public insults which would also include deriving perverted pleasure, vicarious or sadistic thrill from actively or passively participating in the discomfiture to fresher or any other student ;

i.        any act that affects the mental health and self-confidence of a fresher or any other student with or without an intent to derive a sadistic pleasure or showing off power, authority or superiority by a student over any fresher or any other student. ”

 

Whom should I contact, and how, if I need help ?

The regulation prescribes that “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, if and when required, of the Anti-Ragging Helpline referred to in these Regulations, Wardens, Head of the institution, all members of the anti-ragging squads and committees, relevant district and police authorities. ” *

You can also lodge a complaint with the national Anti-Ragging HELPLINE ( 1800-180-5522) #
Mail - helpline@antiragging.net #

 

How would the HELPLINE function ?

The Helpline established by the UGC is stated to be “operational round the clock, which could be accessed by students in distress owing to ragging related incidents. ” * The UGC regulation mentions that - “Any distress message received at the Anti-Ragging Helpline shall be simultaneously relayed to the Head of the Institution, the Warden of the Hostels, the Nodal Officer of the affiliating University, if the incident reported has taken place in an institution affiliated to a University, the concerned District authorities and if so required, the District Magistrate, and the Superintendent of Police, and shall also be web enabled so as to be in the public domain simultaneously for the media and citizens to access it. The Head of the institution shall be obliged to act immediately in response to the information received from the Anti-Ragging Helpline as at sub-clause (b) of this clause. ” *

 

Do the guardians of newcomers have some added responsibility ?

According to the regulations, “it shall be the responsibility of the parents/guardians of freshers to promptly bring any instance of ragging to the notice of the Head of the Institution. ” * in addition to the requirement of signing affidavit.

 

Will it cover a private hostel or the canteen ? What about one getting ragged in the bus or outside the campus ?

The regulations state that “no institution or any part of it thereof, including its elements, including, but not limited to, the departments, constituent units, colleges, centres of studies and all its premises, whether academic, residential, playgrounds, or canteen, whether located within the campus or outside, and in all means of transportation of students, whether public or private, accessed by students for the pursuit of studies in such institutions, shall permit or condone any reported incident of ragging in any form” *

 

 

Ref.  *  http://www.ugc.ac.in/notices/updatedraggingnotification.pdf  

                     #  “Anti-ragging helpline launched”, The Times of India,

 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Anti-ragging-helpline-launched-/articleshow/4681507.cms

^ Only a few important points have been presented here. Please refer to the original UGC documents for details.