Rajkumar Kewalramani Kanya Mahavidyalaya

Policy Document

In pursuance of the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India dated May 8, 2009, in Civil Appeal No. 887 of 2009, the UGC framed “UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009” which were notified on June 17, 2009. Rajkumar Kewalramani Kanya Mahavidyalaya has established the Anti-Ragging Cell.

Anti-Ragging Cell (ARC)

The Anti-Ragging Committee is the Supervisory and Advisory Committee in preserving a culture of ragging-free environment in the college campus. The Anti-Ragging Committee is involved in designing strategies and action plans for curbing the menace of ragging in the college by adopting an array of activities.

Objectives:

1. To create awareness among the students regarding the dehumanizing effect of ragging.
2. To keep continuous watch and vigil over ragging so as to prevent its occurrence and recurrence.
3. To promptly and stringently deal with the incidents of ragging brought to the notice of the committee.
4. To generate an atmosphere of discipline by sending a clear message that no act of ragging shall be tolerated and any act of ragging shall not go unnoticed and unpunished.

UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009

Clause 3:

1. Misconduct of any student either in spoken or written form or any action that has the effect of harming others.
2. Indulging in undisciplined activities that cause physical or psychological harm or fear or apprehension.
3. Asking others to do things that they normally will not do and causes a sense of shame or emotional embarrassment.
4. Any act that disrupts others’ academic activity by any senior student.
5. Financial extortion or forceful monetary burden on a fresher or any other student.
6. Any act of physical abuse including sexual, homosexual assaults, stripping of clothes, forcing lewd acts and gestures causing physical and mental torture.
7. Any act of abuse by spoken words, email, posts, public insults to derive sadistic pleasure.
8. Any act that affects the mental health and self-confidence of any student with or without an intent to derive sadistic pleasure or superiority over others.

Ragging, as defined by the Honorable Supreme Court of India in its landmark judgment in 2001, is “Any disorderly conduct whether by words spoken or written or by an act which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness any other student, indulging in rowdy or undisciplined activities which causes or is likely to cause annoyance, hardship, or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in a fresher or a junior student or asking the students to do any act or perform something which such student will not in the ordinary course and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of a fresher or a junior student.”

Instructions to Freshers

1. You do not have to submit to ragging in any form.
2. You do not have to compromise with your dignity and self-respect.
3. You can report incidents of ragging to the authorities concerned.
4. You can contact any member of the Anti-Ragging Squad/Anti-Ragging Committee of the college, or the Principal.
5. The college is obliged to permit the use of communication facilities (Landline and Mobile Phones) for seeking help.
6. If you are not satisfied with the enquiry conducted by the college, you can lodge a First Information Report (FIR) with the Local Police, and can complain to the civil authorities also.
7. The college is, in any case, required to file an FIR if your parents or you are not satisfied with the action taken against those who ‘ragged’ you.
8. Your complaint can be oral or written, and would be treated by the authorities in strict confidence.
9. Take active part in all institutional activities intended to end ragging on campus.

Procedure

Any case related to ragging reported by a student to the Anti-Ragging Committee will be subject to an enquiry where cross-examination will be held to know the exact situation whereby the complainant and the accused will be given an opportunity of being heard. The committee will review the facts and figures relevant to the case and will give its decision within 7 days from the date of the complaint.

Punishments for Ragging

1. Every single incident of ragging, a FIR shall be lodged without exception by the college authorities with the local police. In addition, one or any combination of the following punishments can be awarded:
2. Cancellation of Admission.
3. Suspension from attending classes.
4. Withholding/withdrawing scholarship/fellowship and other benefits
5. Withholding results.
6. Debarring from representing the institution in any regional, national, or international meet, tournament, youth festival, etc.
7. Rustication from the institution for a period ranging from 1 to 4 semesters.
8. Expulsion from the institution and consequent debarring from admission to any other institution.
9. Collective punishment: When the persons committing or abetting the crime of ragging are not identified, the institution shall resort to collective punishment as a deterrent to ensure community pressure on the potential raggers.

Procedure for Handling the Issue of Ragging:

1. The information on ragging can be received through the notified contact details of the Committee Members.
2. The Anti-Ragging Committee of the Institute shall promptly conduct a preliminary on-the-spot enquiry and collect details of the incident as available prime facie. The preliminary investigation/details of the incident shall be immediately brought to the notice of the Head of the institute. The activity shall be completed, at the most, within twenty hours from the receipt of information.
3. The Anti-Ragging Committee of the Institute shall complete the enquiry and submit its report along with recommendations to the Chairman of the Anti-Ragging Committee of the Institutions within fifteen days of the incident.
4. Thereafter, the said report and recommendations shall be considered by the Anti-Ragging Committee for deciding the punishment on the erring students as per the policy.

Anti-Ragging Committee at Institute Level