Indian Streams Research Journal's
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Ragging: blemish on education
published on : 01-16-2017
Category : University Grant Commission
Students walk into an educational institution with aspirations but ragging becomes a severe form of abuse As 2016 drew to a close, a first-year college student was hospitalised with kidney damage in a brutal case of ragging. The 22-year-old and other junior students were forced to strip and do various physical exercises. In July 2016, a Class XI student accused her classmates of groping and ragging her. She claimed that she was forcefully confined in a bathroom and was sexually assaulted. In another shocking incident, a 14-year-old boy jumped to death from the tenth floor of his apartment. The Class IX student had allegedly been bullied by another student. The list does not end here. The first recorded case of ragging can be traced to the Olympics, held in Greece, in the 8th century BC. The menace soon spread, first to the armed forces and later, to academic institutions. In spite of laws and University Grants Commission orders, ragging continues to be a widespread issue in higher education. Students walk into an educational institution with aspirations and hopes of excellent future prospects but ragging becomes a severe form of abuse which can haunt them for the rest of their lives. In several instances, ragging has even triggered psychological breakdowns, derailing the ambitions and lives of the victims. According to the provisions of the Indian Penal Code, in cases of ragging students can register an FIR for situations involving obscene acts and songs, voluntarily causing hurt, voluntarily causing hurt by using dangerous weapons, voluntarily causing grievous hurt, voluntarily causing grievous hurt by using dangerous weapons, wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement and culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Cloaked in the guise of ragging, sexual exploitation against students is a grave issue of concern. Despite ragging being banned and treated stringently in several Indian educational institutions, students are still mentally, physically and sexually harassed by their peers and seniors. A recent study funded by the University Grants Commission revealed that although nearly 40 per cent of the students are subjected to some form of ragging, only 8.6 per cent students reported the same. The language and religion of the victims were factors in 25 per cent of these cases, while caste was found to be the cause of more than 8 per cent of such incidents. The study indicated that ragging was more widespread in professional institutions, with almost 60 per cent of the students enduring some form of ragging. Earlier this year, UGC updated its rules and redefined ragging as “any act of physical or mental abuse based on colour, race, gender and even appearance of a student”. There is an urgent need to enact a national anti-ragging law. A uniform legislation will act as an effective mechanism to curb the rampancy of ragging by regulating the definition of what ragging comprises and the punishment accorded to acts of ragging. A number of Indian states have laws in force banning ragging. However, punishments and accountability varies across the country. The inadequacy of these state laws is visible from the fact that students can be targeted in all those states which have no anti-ragging laws and measures. In certain states, anti-ragging laws cover only college students and excludes schools from its ambit. An efficient supervisory mechanism among the authorities empowered to keep a check on ragging in colleges and schools would have helped. Very rarely do academic institutions file compliance reports with the university. Educational establishments suffer from a lack of expertise on inspecting the nature of this behaviour among some students. Statistics pertaining to the number of incidents and consequently, the measures adopted, have neither been published by the universities nor the State Councils. It is imperative for universities to hand out brochures, stick posters on notice boards and collect signed declaration forms from all students enrolled in the university. Students should be educated on the course of action available to them in order to enable them to make a well-informed decision and exercise the options available if such a situation were ever to arise. Ragging is a gross violation of an individual’s human rights. Keeping a continuous watch for any signs of ragging and monitoring student behaviour and interaction can prove to be helpful in deterring and tackling any future cases of ragging. Both students as well as the local community at large, must necessarily be familiarised with the inherently inhumane nature of ragging and its deplorable effects. It helps to have the community involved in creating a conducive and positive atmosphere in institutions, and to render the necessary medical, legal and counselling services which will promote effective support systems in colleges and schools. Setting up anti-ragging units within the university campus is a must. The rising number of such cases highlights the issue that are endemic to India’s education system and reflects the need to introduce suitable laws to address the problem. State governments and educational institutions need to effectively implement the provisions of law. Schools, colleges and universities must act as centres of education, not a breeding ground for dehumanising acts. Send your edits to gennextedit@dnaindia.net
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Ragging blemish education