Telangana has a pretty impressive record in tackling the menace of campus ragging and it has recorded far lower number cases compared to all the bigger states in the country.
Since its formation in 2014 there were 32 complaints of ragging with the last two years recording 12 cases each, according to statistics provided to the members in the Lok Sabha recently based on a question raised by some members.
Statistics compiled for five years reveal Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest cases at 461 followed by Madhya Pradesh with 357 and West Bengal with 337 cases. Other bigger states have reported significantly high number of cases: 207 in Odisha followed by Bihar (170), Tamil Nadu (165), Maharashtra (160), Rajasthan (143) and Karnataka (139).
Kerala surprisingly has 151 cases recorded despite being a small state and student unions being pretty active there. Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh has recorded 92 cases.
The lower number of cases in Telangana are attributed to the strong measures taken by the successive governments after the Supreme Court asked the states to be stringent with ragging in colleges, particularly professional colleges. It has been strictly following the R.K. Raghavan’s Commitee recommendations, says professor Tummala Papi Reddy.
Key initiatives
Some of the key initiatives taken in the colleges include formation of anti ragging committees with senior students heading and a senior teacher monitoring. Moreover, students also give an affidavit at the time of admission that they would lose their admission if found involved in ragging incidents.
The first year students, who are most vulnerable, have different buses and their engagement with senior students is almost nil in the initial days, says Marri Rajashekar Reddy, chairman of Marri Laxman Reddy Institute of Technology (MLRIT). Some colleges have deferred timings so that first year students leave early and some have even gone to the extent of having separate academic blocks so that they don’t fall prey to naughty seniors in the campus too.
The then APSCHE chairman K.C. Reddy also ensured that all the colleges organise freshers parties within the college in the first two weeks of the academic year itself to instil warmth between seniors and juniors as initial interaction drives away the fear among junior students.
Even the local police is engaged and the concerned Station House Officer visits every college to participate in the anti-ragging sessions explaining the consequences.
The Lok Sabha data reveals that University Grants Commission (UGC) has received 4,916 ragging complaints in the last five years out of which 4,314 complaints are by males and 602 complaints by females.
Further, to increase awareness against ragging among the students and the teachers, UGC also undertakes media campaign every year apart from sending advisories to the vice-chancellors of all universities to curb the menace of ragging.
An anti-ragging toll free helpline (1800-180-5522) in 12 languages has been made operational by the UGC with call centre facilities for helping victims of ragging, besides facilitating effective coordinated action by all concerned.
The anti-ragging website ( www.antiragging.in ) contains the record of registered complaints that have been received and the status of the action taken.
