BHUBANESWAR: With Odisha continuing to see a spike in ragging on educational institution campuses, the Higher Education department on Wednesday asked colleges and universities - both public and private - to register a police case for every established case of ragging or abetment of ragging.
With the 2022-23 academic session set to begin, Secretary Saswat Mishra directed Vice-Chancellors of public universities and principals of aided and unaided colleges to take up ragging prevention measures as per UGC norms. “For every established case of ragging or abetment of ragging, the institution head should file a police case. Without waiting for the outcome of the FIR, the institution can take action against any student found guilty as per provisions of UGC,” the order said.
The Secretary said it is the collective responsibility of all teaching and non-teaching staff to prevent ragging which is a criminal offence. Odisha, this year, reported two alleged ragging-induced deaths - that of a first-year student of Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital in Balangir in April and a History student of BJB Autonomous College last month. In all the incidents, family members of the victims alleged negligence on the part of the anti-ragging squads on campuses.
“Incidents or allegations of ragging should not be ignored and swept under the carpet to present an ‘all is the well message. In established cases of ragging, institutions must not try to patch up between the accused students and victims. Such laxity will do more harm than good to the institution in the long run,” Mishra said.
As per the order, the anti-ragging squad shall be constituted by the head of the institutions and will remain mobile and alert at all times. The squad will discreetly conduct a random survey among new students every fortnight in the first three months of the academic year to verify whether the institution is indeed free of ragging or not. Telephone numbers of squad members should be intimated to all students. Surprise visits to hostels and other places outside the campus where ragging may take place are mandated on the teams.
Focusing on the mental health of students, the department directed the creation of ability among students to understand and share feelings of one another. An emotional quotient is to be developed to help them manage their own emotions in a positive manner, it said. Besides, pamphlets containing the UGC anti-ragging helpline (1800-180-5522) besides email id and phone numbers of hostel warden, superintendent, head of the institution and anti-ragging squad members should be distributed among students.