Citizen’s Counsel to Stop Ragging in Educational Institutions

Sri Dharmendra Pradhan,

Hon’ble Education Minister,

Government of India,

New Delhi.

Sub: Trend of degrading educational environment in the various colleges and universities of India and its preventive measures

Sir,

At the outset of this appeal, I take the privilege of introducing myself as a self-employed engineer by profession, a committed social and human rights activist, a passionate writer and columnist. I am attached With Citizens’ Rights Reservation Committee (CRPC) Assam as General Secretary – Central Committee.

Sir, as you are aware that ragging is a systemized form of human rights violation in educational institutions in mild of extreme form ranging from bullying, verbal abuse, physical assault, sexual harassment, provoking suicide and murder. This dreaded disease has become a nightmare for the newcomers, their parents and eating into vitals of the society. Union Minister of State for Education, told the Lok Sabha in a written response on 20^th December, 2021, that 2790 complaints of ragging had been received from students since 2018. Definitely by now, the figure must have crossed 5000, as the recent incidents in IIT Kharagpur and Jadavpur University establishes the claim of grimness of the situation. It is the demand of time to pass stern laws to curb and prohibit ragging, hooliganism and anti-ragging social activities in colleges and universities throughout the country. In this connection, the undersigned lays before you certain preventive measures in prohibiting the curse.

Preventive Measures:

All the colleges and universities should provide instructions on ragging and unlawful activities in their brochure of admission prospectus. The contact details of all the important functionaries i.e., head of the department, deans, registrar, hostel wardens, anti-ragging squad, police station etc. should be provided in the brochure.
A form of affidavit should be enclosed with the application where both the parents and the students will declare that they have read, understood the UCC guidelines and regulations 2009, and that of the concerned college or university. The applicant hereby declares that he/she will not engage himself/herself in any such activities, failing which he/she will be liable for punishment as per law.
Students applying for hostel accommodation should also sign a similar affidavit. Hostel rooms should strictly allotted by the management and not by the students body/union or any other third party.
Students should be provided with proper identity cards and the records of the same should be maintained by the institute authority.
Proper record of entry and exit of students and other visitors should be maintained at all the entrance gates of the institution.
A Central or State cadre police official (high ranking) should be employed in all institutions as Liaison Officer.
Duties, responsibilities and limitations of the students body should be well defined and made noticeable to the students at various points of the institution.
The freshers should be divided into various groups department wise with a teacher-in charge of each group who will interact with them at regular interval to understand their problems and take necessary steps to sort out accordingly.
Arrangement of separate hostels for the freshers should be made.
Each hostel should have full time warden and the warden should be possessing strong inter-personal skills, disciplinary abilities, communication skills to handle any untoward incident efficiently.
The system of awarding or depriving minimum marks as per his/her conduct in the institution should be adopted. The government should also introduce giving incentives to colleges and universities that have a clean and clear record of maintaining proper discipline and decorum of the institution.
The institute should involve the parents in this process and constitute Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) department wise in every economic year. The PTA will review the academics and other activities of the students quarterly.
All the private hostels, paying guest accommodations, in the adjacent area of the institution should register themselves with the institute management, maintain proper books of record and furnish them at regular intervals as and when required by the institute authority.
Police should keep a strict vigil on the nearby shops of the institute as they are the main source of providing drugs, alcohol, narcotics etc. to the students.
Appointment of student counselor on regular basis is mandatory to counsel the students on stress management and personal problems.

Hope and pray that your good self will take a serious note of the burning issue and take immediate and appropriate steps to protect and preserve the institutions and the greater interest of the country.

Thanking you,