UGC to set up national ragging helpline by June 15

The University Grants Commission (UGC) issued guidelines for a national call centre to be set up to enable ragging victims from across the country to register their complaints by dialling a toll free number.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Wednesday issued guidelines for a national call centre to be set up to enable ragging victims from across the country to register their complaints by dialling a toll free number.

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"The Education Consultancy India Ltd (ECIL) has been entrusted with the job of setting up of the national call centre. By June 15, it will be operational," UGC Chairman Sukhadeo Thorat told reporters on Wednesday.

The helpline will be equipped with software that will pass on the complaints directly to the head of the institution within 15 minutes to help the administration protect the victims.

Thorat said the helpline will operate around the clock and the UGC will monitor its functioning.

Under the anti-ragging laws, student offenders can be fined up to Rs.250,000 or rusticated for one to four semesters if found guilty of ragging.

The offence will be treated as a severe criminal act, he added.

The new provisions laid down by the UGC also requires that the parents and students give a written undertaking, at the time of admission, that they are aware of the ragging guidelines and will report any such incident.