The menace of ragging in educational institutions adversely impact the standards of education and it had to be curbed with an iron hand, the Chief Justice of India, P. Sathasivam, said on Thursday.
Delivering the convocation address at the 156th Annual Convocation of University of Madras, he said that students, the faculty and the non-teaching staff must be regularly sensitised towards the ills of ragging and prevention thereof. Besides, the educational institute must show zero tolerance for ragging on its campus.
Recalling the formative role played by the University of Madras in the development of the country, he said, “The duty of every university or any college for that matter does not end with producing clever graduates, but it owes the responsibility to produce honest men/women, who can be trusted in public and private life, persons who are sensitive to the wrongs, the sufferings and the injustices of society and who are willing to accept responsibility for correcting those ills.”
In all, 286 graduands received their degrees, prizes and medals from Governor and pro-chancellor K. Rosaiah and Chief Justice Sathasivam.
Over 64,470 candidates received degrees in absentia.
Perarivalan case
Later talking to reporters, Justice Mr. Sathasivam said the order on fresh mercy plea of A.G. Perarivalan, who was facing death sentence in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, would be passed in a month’s time.
Asked about reports of sexual harassment complaint by an intern against another retired judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mr. Sathasivam said: “The representations made against former judges of this court are not entertainable by the administration of the Supreme Court.”
