27 May :Ragging a fellow student can attract a fine up to Rs 2.5 lakh to a student, who can also be expelled from the institute and debarred from taking admission to any other institute for a specified period.The University Grants Commission (UGC), the apex body for regulating higher education in the country, is set to implement a stringent anti-ragging regulation under which the offence will be treated as a severe criminal act at par with rape.
The regulations will be implemented once they are notified by the government, UGC Chairman Prof Sukhadeo Thorat told reporters in New Delhi today.
The UGC regulations stipulate that students can be expelled from an institute and debarred from taking admission to any other institute for a specified period after being found guilty of the offence.
The regulations say students can be fined up to Rs 2.5 lakh if found guilty of ragging. The UGC regulations provide for rustication of a student for a period from one to four semesters.
Besides, a national call centre will start operation from 15th June to enable ragging victims from across the country to dial a toll free number to register complaints.
The helpline will have a software which will pass on the message to the head of the educational institutions within 15 minutes so as to help the administration to swing into action for rescue of the victim students.
"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," Thorat said.
He said the helpline will operate round the clock and UGC will monitor its functioning.
The UGC will also inform the institutions about the toll free number which can be passed on to the students for use.
Besides asking for written undertakings from students and parents while seeking admission that they know the law on ragging and would abide by the same, a report on the behavioural pattern of the applicant should also be part of the admission application as per the regulations.
The regulations say the institutions need to set up anti-ragging squads and sensitize students against ragging.
If an institution fails to comply to the provisions of the regulation, the affiliating university can withdraw the affiliation or recognition.
Grants allocated by the university could be withdrawn from such institutes which do not comply to provisions of the regulations.
The UGC could also declare such institutes as ineligible for consideration under the special assistance programmes.