UGC: College principal and university registrar will be answerable for any case of ragging or suicide

UGC: College principal and university registrar will be answerable for any case of ragging or suicide

NEW DELHI: Urging all the higher education institutions (HEIs) to step up anti-ragging measures, the University Grants Commission said that for extreme ragging and suicide cases, principal of the college and registrar of the university will be called and will be answerable to the National Anti-Ragging Monitoring Committee for the reasons of non-compliance of the Commission’s regulations for ragging on Thursday.

NCRB data shows that there has been one lakh 70 thousand 924 cases of accidental deaths and suicides in the year 2022, out of which only 1.2 per cent cases pertains to deaths which are in connection with failure in examinations.

Issuing strict instructions to comply with all anti-ragging guidelines, the higher education regulator asked all universities, colleges and HEIs not to be negligent in implementing the anti-ragging guidelines. If steps are not taken as per UGC regulations including constitution of anti-ragging committee and squad, installation of CCTV cameras at vital points, then action will be taken against that educational institution and the officials of the institution will not be able to escape their responsibility.

The letter to all the heads of the HEIs reiterated the five-point compliance directed by the Supreme Court and the Commission made it clear that if any case of ragging and suicide comes to light in any HEI in future, then the registrar of the university and the principal of the college will be summoned. These officers will have to appear before the National Anti-Ragging Monitoring Committee and they will be answerable that despite such strict rules, how did the incident of ragging happen, and action will be taken after the response of the officials.

In the letter the UGC said that as per the order of the Supreme Court, UGC has made regulations to prevent ragging in higher education institutions and it is mandatory to implement these rules. It is necessary to form an anti-ragging committee, anti-ragging squad, and anti-ragging cell.

Along with this, anti-ragging workshops and seminars will have to be organized. Providing information about nodal officers on the university-college website will be compulsory, said Manish Joshi, secretary, UGC.

Along with this, surprise inspection will be necessary in hostels, canteens, rest rooms, bus stands. Anti-ragging posters should be displayed throughout the campus. Students can also call the National Anti-Ragging Helpline 1800-180-5522 anytime within 24 hours and report their problems.

The UGC has said that it is necessary to investigate every complaint. If there is a complaint related to a medical or engineering institute, then the concerned regulatory body and council will have to form a committee and investigate, even if a police investigation is also going on. Apart from the helpline, complaints can also be made on helpline@antiragging.in.

Source by: timesofindia.indiatimes.com