UGC says college principals, registrars will be answerable for extreme ragging, suicide cases

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has yet again instructed universities to adhere to the anti-ragging regulations and reiterated that ragging is a criminal offense. Principals and registrars will be held accountable for extreme ragging and suicide cases.

All councils will have to constitute a committee immediately when a serious suicide or death case is reported to relook about the issue even when case is under police investigation. They are also advised to appoint a legal person for the reviewing the matter.

“The Anti Ragging Cell and Anti Ragging Squads of institutions should be empowered by provisioning of a legal counsel so that airtight cases against the ragging culprits can be made,” the UGC said.

The statutory body has also instructed the anti-ragging monitoring agency to carry surprise checks to ensure that the UGC regulations are followed by the institutes, teaching faculty and students.

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The UGC has developed five TV commercials of 30 seconds each with different perspectives for parents, victim and offenders. It has also designed 4 types of posters among universities, regulatory authorities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs), which have to be displayed on the notice board.

Besides, the institutes should also display the email address and contact details of the nodal officer of the anti-ragging committee of the university in the admission centre, departments, library, canteen, hostel, and common facilities.

“It is once again reiterated for the benefit of all the stakeholders that ragging is a criminal offence and the culprits will attract punitive action as mentioned in the UGC regulations,” the commission said.