What is Ragging?

‘Ragging’ means display of disorderly conduct, doing of any act which causes or is likely to cause physical or psychological harm or raise apprehension or fear or shame or embarrass­ment to a student in any educational institution & includes:

a.Teasing ,abusing, threatening or playing practical jokes on, or causing hurt to such a student; or

b. Asking a student to do any act or perform something which such student will not, in the ordinary course, will­ingly, do (Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act,1999)

c. The human rights perspective of ragging involves the injury caused to the fundamental right to human dignity through humiliation heaped on junior students by seniors; often resulting in the extreme step of suicide by the victims.

Ragging has several aspects which include psychological, social, political economic, cultural and academic dimen­sions. The political aspect of ragging is apparent from the fact that incidents of ragging are low in institutions which promote democratic participation of students in represen­tation and provide an identity to students to participate in governance and decision making within the institute bodies.

Steps that may be taken by the student in an event of incidence of ragging

1. Every fresh student admitted to the college shall be given a printed leaflet detailing to whom he/she has to turn to for help and guidance for various purposes including addresses and telephone numbers, so as to enable the student to contact the concerned person at any time, if and when required, of the anti-ragging help­line referred to in these policy, wardens, all members of the anti-ragging committee & squads, relevant district and police authorities.
2. Fresher or any other student, whether being victim, or witness, in any incident of ragging are encouraged to report such occurrence, and the identity of such infor­mants will be protected and will not be subject to any adverse consequence only for the reason for having reported such incidents. Those who want to be anony­mous can submit their complaints in complaint box.
3. The students can contact the members of the anti-rag­ging committee or squad, whose phone numbers are dis­played along with the anti-ragging posters. or They can directly approach the Principal who in turn will direct the complaint to anti-ragging committee .
4. Those in hostel can also contact the hostel warden or any other staff members who will in turn direct the case to relevant authorities.
5. Freshers who do not report the incidents of ragging either as victim or as witnesses shall also be punished suitably.

PUNISHMENT FOR RAGGING

A) Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999 which states that:

1. Penalty for ragging (section 4): Whoever directly or indirectly commits, participates in, abets or propagates ragging within or outside any educational institution shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years and shall also be, liable to a fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees.
2. Dismissal of student (section 5): Any student convicted of an offence under section 4 shall be dismissed from the educational institution and such student shall not be admitted in any other educational institution for a period of five years from the date of order of such dismissal.
3. Suspension of student ( section 6):Whenever any student or ,as the case may be the parent or guardian, or a teacher of an educational institution complains, in writing of ragging to the head of the educational institution, the head of the educational institution, shall without prej­udice to the foregoing provisions, within seven days of receipt of complaint, do inquiry in to the matter men­tioned in the complaint and if prima facie, it is found, true ,shall suspend the student who is accused of the offence, and shall, immediately forward the complaint to the police station having jurisdiction over the area in which the educational institution is situated, for further action.
4. Deemed abetment (section 7): If the head of the edu­cational institution fails or neglects to take action in the manner specified in section 6 when a complaint of ragging is made, such person shall be deemed to have abetted the offence of ragging and shall, on conviction, be punished as provided in section 4.

B) Administrative action in the event of ragging:

The institution shall punish a student found to be guilty of ragging after following procedure

a) Anti-Ragging Committee of the institution shall take an appropriate decision following the recommendations of the Anti-Ragging Squad.

b) Anti-Ragging Committee may, depending on the nature & gravity of guilt recommend one or more of following punish­ments namely:

i. Suspension from attending classes and aca­demic privileges

ii. Withholding or withdrawing scholarship/ fellowship and other benefits

iii. Debarring from appearing in any test/ examination

iv. Withholding results

v. Debarring from representing the institution in any regional, national or international event

vi. Suspension/expulsion from the hostel

vii. Cancellation of admission

viii. Rustication from the institution for period ranging from one to four semesters

ix. Expulsion from the institution and con­sequent debarring from admission to any other institution for a specified period

An appeal against the order of punishment

a) In case of an order of the institution affiliated to a University, he/she can appeal to the vice- Chancellor of the University

b) In case of an order of the University, he/she can appeal to its Chancellor

Prevention of Ragging/Anti-ragging measures

The college has set up appropriate committees to actively monitor, promote and regulate healthy interaction between the freshers, junior and senior students and to prevent ragging.

1. Anti-Ragging Committee: The institution has nom­inated anti-ragging committee headed by the Principal. It consists of faculty members, representative of parents, representative of students from freshers and seniors and non-teaching staff. It shall be the duty of anti-rag­ging committee to coordinate with various committees to prevent ragging in the institution.
2. Anti-Ragging Squad: It is nominated by the Principal. The anti-ragging squad shall remain mobile, alert & active at all times to maintain vigilance & patrolling. It shall make surprise raids on hostels and other places vulnerable to incidents of ragging. It shall investigate incidents of ragging & report to anti-ragging committee.
3. Display: The names of anti-ragging committee members, anti-ragging squad members & hostel wardens are displayed in bold letters on first year notice board along with their contact numbers.
4. Mentoring cell on ragging: The college has consi­tuted mentoring cell consisting of students volunteering to be mentors for freshers. There is one mentor for six freshers and one mentor of a higher level for six mentors of lower level. Some senior staff members are also in mentor cell to guide students.

• Teacher-Guardian System: It should be imple­mented for students with the help of teachers involved in teaching them. About 20 students will be allot­ted to one teacher. They are to meet the concerned teacher every week to discuss various problems faced by students.
• Monitoring cell: The institution has monitoring cell on ragging to coordinate with activities of anti-ragging committee, Squads and Mentoring cell about conducting orientation programmes, counseling sessions, incidents of ragging & problems faced by officials. It shall be prime mover for initiating action to facilitate the implementa­tion of anti-ragging measures at the level of institution.
• Orientation programme: A joint ‘sensitization’ and orientation programme and counseling of both fresh­ers and seniors to be addressed by the Principal and professional counselor. The inmates of hostel shall be addressed by the hostel warden.
• Sensitization towards the ills of ragging and the pre­vention there of and obtaining undertaking from every employee of the college including teaching and non-teaching members of staff, contract labor employed in the premises. A provision shall be made in the service rules for issuing certificates of appreciation to such members of the staff who report ragging which will form part of their service record.
• The employers/employees of the canteens/mess shall be given necessary instructions to keep strict vigil and to report the incidents of ragging to the college authorities, if any.
• Separate living arrangement: Freshers shall be lodged in a separate hostel block so as to prevent interaction between freshers and senior students. Faculty members residing in the Sinhgad Institutes campus are to dine turn wise with the freshers in their respective hostels for the initial two months to instill a feeling of confidence among them. Wardens of the hostel are to take rounds of the hostel daily.

• Admission brochure: The admission brochure has included anti-ragging policy. Telephone numbers of anti-ragging helpline and all the important function­aries in the institution are published in the admission brochure.
• Affidavit from students and parents: The affida­vit from each student and his/her parent is obtained and the copies are available in the office.
• Counselling of freshers: The professional counsellor shall counsel freshers in order to prepare them for the life ahead, particularly in regard to the life in hostel and to the extent possible ,also involve parents and teachers in the counselling sessions.

• Query Register: Various queries of newly admitted students ranging from travel & commuting, instruments, books, places etc. can be written by them in the regis­ter everyday. At the end of the day the queries can be answered by the administrative officer after consulting appointed personnel.
• Complaint Boxes: For newly admitted students and for students who want to be anonymous in their com­plaints, the complaint boxes should be installed in the college as well as in the hostel.