UGC directs HEIs to set up district-level anti-ragging committees

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed district administration and higher education institutions to set up anti-ragging committees to ensure implementation of Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009. The UGC said if the regulations are not followed then it will attract punitive action.

As per the UGC regulations, the district-level committee on anti-ragging should be headed by district collector, deputy commissioner or district magistrate, and additional district member secretary should be appointed as secretary. Members of the committee should include superintendent of police/SSP, representative of local media, a person from a non-government organisation, leaders of student organisations and local police.

Local Police, Local administration as well the Institutional Authorities to ensure vigil on incidents that may come within the definition of ragging.

The committees will have to hold preparatory meetings during the summer vacation to take stock of the state of preparedness of each institution and their compliance with the policies and directions or guidelines of the UGC, university, state and central authorities. As per UGC guidelines, the regulations are mandatory, and all institutions are required to take necessary steps for its implementation in toto including the monitoring mechanisms.

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“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 actions as per UGC regulations,” the University Grants Commission said. The HEIs can access the regulations on the official website ugc.gov.in and antiragging.in.