‘Ragging bullies should see a shrink’

After taking college bullies to task and penalising principals for their failure to curb ragging, the Supreme Court went a step further. It issued directions to evolve a mechanism to eradicate the menace. HT Correspondent reports.

After taking college bullies to task and penalising principals for their failure to curb ragging, the Supreme Court on Friday went a step further. It issued directions to evolve a mechanism to eradicate the menace.

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It wants colleges to take de-addiction measures for students hooked to alcohol and drugs.

A bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat ordered states to set up anti-ragging committees. It said every college should have a psychiatrist for the students who indulge in ragging.

The directions are based on the recommendations of a court-appointed panel that suggested “de-addictive measures for students if they are found to be indulging in these (alcoholism and violent) activities”.

A high-level committee had probed the incident of ragging which lead to the death of Amann Kachroo, a first year MBBS student in Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Himachal Pradesh.

The Bench had termed as “shocking” the findings of the panel that alcoholism on campuses was the main reason behind serious ragging and violence. Amann’s father Rajendra Kachroo, 56, demanded an independent mechanism to monitor the court’s decision. “We welcome court intervention but the point is whether these orders are being implemented,” Kachroo said.

The Raghavan Committee was appointed in December 2006 by the HRD ministry after the Supreme Court issued a directive to suggest and monitor measures to eliminate ragging on college campuses.