UGC wants parents, pupils to pledge against ragging

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked parents and students to give an undertaking in writing against ragging in colleges.

The move is aimed at ensuring that students do not break rules and parents ensure their wards do not resort to ragging. While the initiative is an addition to the helpline initiative of the UGC, the regulatory body for all universities in the country, it has said that the anti-ragging rules will be applied to students who resort to ragging despite the undertaking.

Jaspal Sandhu, secretary, UGC, said ragging was a social issue and in compliance with a Supreme Court directive to have an effective mechanism to curb the menace, the body has been taking regular measures to curb such instances.

“Any act of physical or mental abuse (including bullying and exclusion) targeted at another student (fresher or otherwise) on the ground of colour, race, religion, caste, ethnicity, gender (including transgender), sexual orientation, appearance, nationality, regional origins, linguistic identity, place of birth, place of residence or economic background will come under the purview of the Act and be liable for action under the Prevention of Ragging Act,” said the circular.

Mr Sandhu further said that apart from the helpline that was started to help victims lodge complaints discreetly, the UGC had decided to make it compulsory for students and parents to submit undertakings every year to refrain from ragging.

“Universities have been asked to get their departments and affiliated colleges to get students and parents to compulsorily submit undertakings online on www.antiragging.in and www.amanmovement.org,” said Mr Sandhu.

However, despite the measures being initiated by the UGC, instances of ragging have not shown any drastic decrease. According to statistics available on the anti-ragging portal for a period of eight years, the highest instances of ragging have been reported from Uttar Pradesh (634 cases). Maharashtra has seen 198 cases in the same period. After the issue of the circular on August 10, the online submission of undertakings has seen around 4,26,717 parents and students make submissions.