What Is Ragging?
Ragging in Simple terms
In the name of introduction or initiation, millions of students are brutally abused in many educational institutions. Originated to probably to generate fellow-feelings and teamwork, it has metamorphosed to a blood sucking vampire!
Teenagers entering those colleges (and now even in some schools) are physically, mentally and often sexually (heterosexually and homosexually) abused. They are often subjected to tortures comparable to the sufferings of the victims of Nazi Holocausts… except the gas chambers! Deaths, including suicides, are however not uncommon.
Ragging is prevalent in India and in some other countries (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malyasia etc.).
‘Hazing’ in the US or ‘bizutage’ in France are nearly similar forms. Unlike hazing, ragging usually doesn’t depend on membership of ‘fraternities’, rather it is forcefully applied on innocent teenagers enrolling for higher education. A very large number of educational institutions are affected thus. In fact, ragging has made its entry into junior schools.
Ragging has ruined countless of innocent lives, families, dreams and careers
Several Indian states have enacted legislations banning ragging. The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has issued landmark judgements in 2001 and in 2009. Consequent to the later judgement, the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued elaborate guidelines in 2009, which was followed by other statutory bodies like the Medical Council of India (MCI), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the Dental Council of India (DCI), the Nursing Council of India etc.
Definition of Ragging as per UGC Regulations, 2009
“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 undisciplined 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
