Date:09/05/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/05/09/stories/2009050950080100.htm

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SC issues guidelines to check ragging

J. Venkatesan

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday gave a series of directions and guidelines to deal with the menace of ragging in educational institutions.

A Bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and A.K. Ganguly gave these directions on petitions relating to cases of ragging in the Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Himachal Pradesh, and the Bapatla Agriculture Engineering College in Andhra Pradesh. These two cases were referred to the R.K. Raghavan Committee, which submitted its report to the court after an inquiry.

The Bench also incorporated the suggestions give by Additional Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam, amicus curiae, and other counsel on measures to deal with this sociological problem. It was suggested that the atmosphere in the educational institution instil a sense of confidence in the minds of freshers rather than the fear of ragging from senior students and that steps be taken towards this objective.

The Bench agreed the qualitative and quantitative psychological impact of ragging on young students should be examined, besides the psychological and sociological reasoning as to why seniors rag and torment their juniors.