Anti Ragging

The guidelines to curb the menance of ragging in medical colleges are as under: –

1. Every students for the purposes of his/her admission to Medical College shall furnish a Character Certificate from the institutions wherefrom he/she has passed his qualifying examination, which would mention the status of his/her behavioral pattern specially in terms as to whether he/she has displayed persistent violent or aggressive behavior or any desire to harm others.
2. The admitting medical institution shall keep intense watch uponstudents who has a negative entry in this regard.
3. An annual undertaking signed by each student, whether fresher or senior and his/her parent (s) jointly stating that each of them have read the relevant instructions/regulations against ragging, as well as punishments, and that if the ward has been found guilty he/she shall be proceeded against, shall be procured.
4. Such an undertaking shall be furnished in English as well as in vernacular (mother tongue of the parent) at the beginning of each academic year by every student.
5. An undertaking to the similar effect should be obtained every year from each student admitted to the hostel.
6. The undertaking should be appended to the brochure containing the guidelines and other relevant instructions in regard to ragging and consequences of indulging in ragging.
7. The compliance to the above effect shall be ensured by each of the affiliating university to which the concerned medical institution is affiliated and would be verified by the council annually.
8. In order to ensure the ‘ragging free environment’ in the campus, each institution shall compulsorily in the ‘prospectus’ and other admission related documents, shall depict the earlier directions of the Apex court and/or of the Central or State Governments as applicable, so that candidates and their parents are sensitized in respect of the prohibition and consequences of ragging.
9. Each institution should engage or seek the assistance of ‘professional counselor’ at the time of admissions to counsel ‘freshers’ in order to prepare them for the life ahead, specially for adjusting to the life in hostels.
10. It should be ensured that there would be a clear gap of one to two weeks between the date of joining of ‘freshers’ and the ‘seniors’, ensuring that classes for the seniors shall commence later, so as to enable the ‘freshers’ to familiarize themselves with the campus environment and adjust to the sudden changeover from schools to higher education.
11. It shall be mandatory for the institutions to inform the parents of senior students to send their wards only on the due date of commencement of the academic session and not earlier.
12. All the examining Universities with which the institutions are affiliated or the deemed to be Universities shall compulsorily amend their relevant ordinances or byelaws, as the case may be, to incorporate the schedule gap of one or two weeks between the date joining of ‘freshers’ and ‘seniors’.
13. Each institution shall arrange a joint ‘sensitization’ programme and ‘counselling’ of both ‘freshers’ and ‘seniors’ to be addressed by the Principal/Head of the institution and the Convener of the Anti Ragging Committee. The inmates of the Hostel shall be addressed on this count by the Hostel Warden.
14. Each institution shall have an Anti-Ragging Committee and Anti Ragging Squad, which shall comprise of other than senior teachers of the institution, representatives of Civil & Police administration and local media.
15. Each institution shall constitute a ‘Mentoring Cell’ to oversee and involve senior students as ‘Mentors’ for the ‘freshers’.
16. Such a Mentoring Cell shall be constituted at the end of every academic year, where application shall be invited from the students to join the Mentoring Cell as Mentors for the succeeding academic year.
17. An anonymous random survey shall be conducted by each institution across the entire 1st year batch of students every fortnight during the first three months of the academic session in order to verify and cross-check whether the campus is genuinely ragging free or not.
18. The methodology of such survey may be designed by the institution appropriately. However, doing so it shall be ensured that the institution does not compromise with the anonymity of the ‘whistle blowers’.
19. The institution shall ensure that private commercially managed lodges or hostels outside campuses, must be registered with the local Police Authorities and permission to start such hostel or their registration must necessarily be recommended by the Heads of the Medical Institutions.
20. In case the victim of ragging his/her parent/guardian is notsatisfied with the action taken by the Head of the Institution or byother institutional authorities, or where Head of the institution is of the opinion that the incident ought to be so reported, it shall be mandatory for the intuition to file a First Information Report withthe local police authorities.
21. It must be ensured by each of the institution that the Complaints orinformation in regard to ragging could be oral or written and evenfrom third parties and the confidentiality thereof must be protectedat all costs.
22. Each institution shall ensure that remedial action is initiated andcompleted within a week of the incident itself, so that complaints donot linger and allow either interest in pursuing the matter to vane orenable the culprits to tamper evidence or influence witnesses.