2 weeks Ago By Rema Nagarajan
Representative Image Medical colleges figure disproportionately in the list of complaints to the University Grants Commission’s ( UGC ) anti-ragging cell, but anti-ragging activists complain that the complaints don’t always lead to action. They cite the complaint filed by first year students of JLN Medical college in Raipur about being forced to tonsure their heads and being slapped and physically harassed in the hostel as an example. No action has yet been taken on the complaint.
Within weeks of the 2024 academic year starting on October 14, the anti-ragging cell has received over 55 complaints from medical colleges across India, which is almost 42% of the total number of complaints received from all colleges. In 2024, of the 800 complaints received by the cell so far, 222 were from medical colleges and 230 from engineering and polytechnic colleges. This is despite the fact that there are just over 700 medical colleges compared to more than 8,000 engineering and technology colleges.
In four cases from medical colleges, the victims took their own lives. Anti-ragging activists say that the UCG data doesn’t even capture all the incidents because you cannot register an anonymous complaint. “The reported case of severe ragging in RVRS Medical College in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, does not feature in the UGC list of complaints though the students tried to complain.
They insisted on the student identity being revealed and since the student was not willing to do so, the complaint does not figure in the list,” explained Gaurav Singhal of the non-profit that works on preventing ragging, Society Against Violence in Education (SAVE). “In the case of JLN Medical College, Raipur, though the complaint was registered, no action has been taken by the UGC or the college authorities. This college is notorious for ragging and equally infamous for an administration that refuses to act.
The authorities summoned the entire first year batch and asked if anything was wrong. Obviously, no one would speak up in a public place. The students were forced to write an apology,” said Rupesh Kumar Jha of SAVE.
Jha said that most complaints were made anonymously because if any student’s identity was disclosed, seniors could mark him or her for even more severe ragging and abuse. “This is a common problem. So, victims are scared.
If you are serious about tackling ragging, anonymous complaints must be given importance. It is for the UGC or college authorities to investigate and verify the truth in such complaints. In JLN Medical college, the boys were forced to shave their heads.
If students are going around in uniform with shaved heads or if all freshers have a peculiar hairstyle, it is evidence that ragging is going on. How can the college authority deny it?” asked Jha. “College authorities take it as a personal attack on them and almost never act on their own.
Instead of being thankful that students are informing them that all is not well in the college, they victimize the complainant. This is why students cannot be expected to seek help from within the college. We must prevent ragging by implementing the detailed action plan mandated by the Supreme Court order in 2009,” said Prof Rajendra Kachroo , the father of Aman Kachroo who died from violent ragging in 2009.
Pro Kachroo fought the case which led to the Supreme Court order directing the framing of regulations against ragging. Neither the college authorities, nor the National Medical Commission (NMC), the UGC or the health ministry responded to queries from TOI regarding inaction on the complaints of ragging from JLN Medical College. When action was taken this year March Nine students including two interns, a nursing student and a junior researcher suspended for 45 days and fined Rs 50,000 each for ragging juniors in Dr Y S Parmar Medical College, Nahan in Himachal Pradesh.
The punished students will not be allowed to participate in any sports or literary function for a period of one year. May Two fourth year students suspended for physically violent ragging of first year students in Tirunelveli Government Medical College Four students including two women pursuing MS in surgery in Narendra Modi Medical College in Ahmedabad were suspended. One student was suspended for two years, one for one year and two for 25 days for ragging which included indecent behaviour and harassment like not allowing them to eat for seven days.
June Action against six students for ragging ad second year student- three suspended for six months and the other three barred from hostel and library for six months and a penalty of Rs 25,000 imposed on each in Government Medical College, Aurangabad in Maharashtra Two students expelled from internship and hostel for one year and fined Rs one lakh for physically assaulting a junior in Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda in Himachal Pradesh. Two others fined Rs 50,000 and expelled for six months for harassing juniors through WhatsApp messages FIR against seven second year students in Government Medical College, Dungarpur in Rajasthan, after a student they ragged suffered kidney damage and had to undergo dialysis Four fourth year students expelled from hostel for 6 months, fined Rs 10,000 each. Accused of hurling abuses and assaulting juniors October FIR against 18 students in Tripura Medical College.
Collective Rs 10 lakh fine on the accused, suspension from hostels for one year and monitoring the mobiles of the accused for a period of six months. Accused of forcing junior boys to shave their heads, girls to propose to their seniors, and repeated abuse and humiliation Two fourth year students of Grant Medical College, Mumbai suspended from hostel for a year for ragging a fresher by harassing him and forcing him to dance Seven female students and three male students expelled from college campus for a week for two separate incidents of ragging 13 junior students in Shri Jagannath Pahadiya Medical College, Bharatpur in Rajasthan. Nine second year students suspended from the college campus and hostel for ragging juniors through video calls in King George Medical University, Lucknow.
10 doctors suspended permanently for ragging, harassment and for creating a culture of fear in RG Kar Medical College. 59 suspended temporarily while further investigation is on. November Five fourth year students from MKCG Medical College, Berhampur in Odisha expelled from hostel.
FIR registered. 2023 batch suspended for one month from college and fined Rs 3,000 each for ragging 2024 batch boys by asking them to shave their heads in Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College, Hazaribagh in Jharkhand..
