What is meant by ragging?
Any physical,
verbal or
mental abuse
committed by one student
against another student
belonging to an educational institute
History of the Legislation:
The Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1997, was enacted in response to
the death of Pon Navarasu, who died due to ragging at Rajah Muthiah Medical
College in 1996.
The act aims to prohibit ragging in educational institutions across Tamil Nadu
and prescribes penalties for those involved, including imprisonment and fines.
Tamil Nadu is the first state to enact the state-level legislation in India to
specifically address and criminalize ragging.
Definition of Ragging
The act defines "ragging" broadly, encompassing any behavior that causes or
is likely to cause physical or psychological harm, fear, or shame to a student.
It extends to acts committed both within and outside educational institutions.
UGC REGULATION ON CURBING THE MENACE OF RAGGING IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS, 2009
3.4. "Ragging" means the following: Any conduct whether by words spoken or
written or by an act which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness
any other student, indulging in rowdy or undisciplined activities which causes or is
likely to cause annoyance, hardship or psychological harm or to raise fear or
apprehension thereof in a fresher or a junior student or asking the students to do any
act or perform something which such student will not in the ordinary course and
which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame or embarrassment so as
to adversely affect the physique or psyche of a fresher or a junior student.
-. Punishable ingredients of Ragging:-
Abetment to ragging;
Criminal conspiracy to rag;
Unlawful assembly and rioting while ragging;
Public nuisance created during ragging;
Violation of decency and morals through ragging;
Injury to body, causing hurt or grievous hurt;
Wrongful restraint:
Wrongful confinement;
Use of criminal force;
Assault as well as sexual offences or unnatural offences;
Extortion;
Criminal trespass;
Offences against property;
Criminal intimidation;
Attempts to commit any or all of the above mentioned offences against the victim(s);
Physical or psychological humiliation;
All other offences following from the definition of "Ragging".
Measures for prohibition of ragging
8.1 At the institution level:-
Depending upon the nature and gravity of the offence as established by the Anti-
Ragging Committee of the institution, the possible punishments for those found guilty
of ragging at the institution level shall be any one or any combination of the
following:
8.1.1 Suspension from attending classes and academic privileges
8.1.2 Withholding/ withdrawing scholarship/fellowship and other benefits
8.1.3 Debarring from appearing in any test/ examination or other evaluation Tprocess
8.1.4 Withholding results
8.1.5 Debarring from representing the institution in any regional, national or
international meet, tournament, youth festival, etc.
8.1.6 Suspension/expulsion from the hostel
8.1.7 Cancellation of admission
8.1.8 Rustication from the institution for period ranging from 1 to 4 semesters
8.1.9 Expulsion from the institution and consequent debarring from admission to any
other institution for a specified period
8.1.10 Fine ranging between Rupees 25,000/- and Rupees 1 lakh
8.1.11 Collective punishment: When the persons committing or abetting the crime of
ragging are not identified, the institution shall resort to collective punishment.
3.2 At the university level in respect of institutions under it:-
Ragging when ties up with the perverted imaginations of human being, it affects
worstly on the victim as well as the family as a whole - : Victim 1. May leave a
permanent scar in the victim’s mind that may haunt him for years to come. 2. The
victim may declines into a shell forcing himself into ignominy and alienation from the
rest of the world. 3. It demoralizes the students. 4. May causes physical assault and
grievous injuries, grave psychological stress and trauma. 5. In extreme cases, it may
cause suicide and culpable homicide,
Whoever directly or indirectly commits, participates in, abets or propagates “ragging”
within or without any educational institution, shall be punished with imprisonment for
a term which may extend to two years and shall also be liable to a fine which may
extend to ten thousand rupees. 5. Dismissal of student. — Any student convicted of an
offence under section 4 shall also be dismissed from the educational institution and
such student shall not be admitted in any other educational institution. 6. Suspension
of student. — (1) Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions, whenever any
student complaints of ragging to the head of an educational institution, or to any other
person responsible for the management of the educational institution, such head of the
educational institution or person responsible for the management of the educational
institution shall inquire into the same immediately and if found true shall suspend the
student, who has committed the offence, from the educational institution. (2) The
decision of the head of the educational institution or the person responsible for the
management of the educational institution that any student has indulged in ragging
under sub-section (1) shall be final. 7. Deemed