BHUBANESWAR : The UGC has asked all universities in the state to take stringent measures to prevent ragging in the ongoing and new academic sessions.
Odisha is one of the few states registering the highest number of ragging complaints since April 2022. A hundred ragging complaints were registered from April 1, 2022 till now. And a majority of them are from technical colleges and universities.
The UGC in a recent directive has asked the universities to strictly follow the Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009, which includes installation of CCTV cameras at vital points of the campuses apart from formation of the anti-ragging committee and squads. This apart, the institutions have to publicise national anti-ragging helpline 1800-180-5522, email helpline@antiragging.in and contact number of Centre for Youth (UGC’s ragging monitoring agency) 9818044577. The UGC also asked the institutions to take help of local police to curb ‘cultural dadagiri’ on campuses. It further asked the institutions to provide legal counsel to anti-ragging cell and squads to help them frame airtight cases against the accused.
In a new norm, the national anti-ragging monitoring committee will call the principal of college or registrar of university for questioning on non-compliance of UGC regulations for ragging. Besides, in case of new admissions, students no longer will have to physically submit an anti-ragging affidavit. Instead, they will receive affidavits in email on their mobile numbers and can forward them to the nodal officer of the institution.