State forms cell to curb ragging

Ever been a victim of ragging and felt that your college has not done enough to help you? A state-level anti-ragging monitoring cell will look into such issues.

Ever been a victim of ragging and felt that your college has not done enough to help you? A state-level anti-ragging monitoring cell will look into such issues.

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"When we structured this cell, we were clear that as the state government we are guardians of students and they can directly approach us, if they think the college has not been fair to them," said Minister of State for Higher and Technical Education Varsha Gaikwad.

"We have given clear directions to universities and colleges regarding anti-ragging and we expect it to be followed," she added.

As per a state government resolution (GR) dated August 9, the monitoring cell is formed following directions given by the Supreme Court.

This has been done on the basis of anti-ragging recommendations of the Raghavan Committee that apart from formation of the cell, talks of setting up a toll-free helpline for victims, stringent laws against ragging among other measures.

According to the GR, the cell will be headed by Governor K. Sankaranarayanan and will include vice-chancellors of all universities and government bureaucrats — from the higher education, agriculture, medical education and animal husbandry departments respectively.

This monitoring cell, as per the GR, will oversee the functions of the anti-ragging committees formed at district, university and college levels.

The cell will have the powers to reverse as well as reinforce decisions related to ragging.

"The cell will give a rulebook to colleges that will include instructions calling for putting up anti-ragging laws at college gates, appraising students of anti-ragging norms on the first day of college, and asking them for periodic reports," Gaikwad added.

Currently, the department has set up a hierarchy under which the anti-ragging norms will function.

The college committees will report to university committees that will in turn report to the state cell.

However, if the state committee will not look back if it has to crack the whip on universities or colleges in case they find them violating norms which have been set up by the cell, Gaikwad added.