Make it mandatory for students, parents to submit anti-ragging undertaking every year: UGC tells HEIs

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to step-up the anti-ragging mechanism through constitution of committee, squad, and cell, installation of CCTV cameras, conduct of workshops and seminars, among others.

In compliance with the anti-ragging regulations, UGC has asked colleges to make it mandatory for every student and parent to submit an online undertaking every academic year. HEIs have been requested to implement the revised procedure for students to file an online anti-ragging affidavit. The student will receive an e-mail with his or her registration number, and forward that e-mail to the nodal officer. Moreover, the colleges will have to add a mandatory column on ‘Anti-ragging undertaking reference number’ in their admission forms.

Publicity of anti-ragging policy

The commission has asked the colleges and universities to ensure regular interaction and counselling with students, identification of trouble-triggers, and mentioning anti-ragging warnings in the e-Prospectus and e-Information booklets.

HEIs have been asked to conduct surprise inspections of hostels, students' accommodation, canteens, rest rooms, recreational rooms, toilets, bus-stands, and display anti-ragging posters at all prominent places like admission centre, departments, library, canteen, hostel, common facilities etc.

UGC informed that the posters are available on UGC website, ugc.ac.in. The size of the posters should be 8x6 feet. “Any other measure which would augur well in preventing/quelling ragging and any uncalled-for behavior/incident must be undertaken,” it added.

The apex regulator reminded universities that ragging is a criminal offence and UGC has framed regulations on curbing the menace of ragging in higher educational institutions in order to prohibit, prevent and eliminate the scourge of ragging.

“These regulations are mandatory, and all institutions are required to take necessary steps for its implementation in Toto including the monitoring mechanism. Any violation of these regulations will be viewed seriously. If any institution fails to take adequate steps to prevent ragging or does not act in accordance with these regulations or fails to punish perpetrators of incidents of ragging suitably, it will attract punitive action against itself by the UGC,” the commission stated.