Gujarat govt on Tuesday issued a govt resolution (GR) and informed the Gujarat high court about it on Wednesday. This was undertaken after the HC took suo motu cognizance of a ragging incident at BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad last year.
The provision in the GR reads, “Freshers who do not report incidents of ragging either as victims or witnesses shall also be punished suitably.” However, it places the burden of proof on the perpetrator of ragging and not the victim. The institution is required to file an FIR for cases of ragging, if required.
The punishment prescribed for perpetrators of ragging is suspension from the institute, withdrawal of scholarship, debarment from exam and educational events, withholding results, expulsion from hostel, cancellation of admission, suspension from academic activities for up to four semesters, expulsion from the institute and debarment from admission to other institutes for five years. The punishment includes provision for imprisonment of up to two years. If perpetrators are not identified, there is a provision for collective punishment as well.
Private and commercially managed hostels will have to be registered with local police and must report such incidents or they will be held responsible for non-reporting.
The GR also prescribes exercises to make education campuses ragging free. Every institute is required to conduct anonymous random surveys among freshers every fortnight for three months to verify if the campus is ragging free. Institutes are to undertake awareness campaigns and activities to strengthen relationship between freshers and senior students. Institutes will have to reduce freshers’ dependence on seniors so that they don’t feel indebted to them.
Students indulging in ragging will have a remark about their behaviour on their migration certificates.
