Govt mandates independent monitoring to check ragging in colleges, univs

Bhubaneswar: With the new academic session approaching, higher education department has proposed a three-tier grievance redressal system for ragging complaints, comprising the institutional cell, monitoring agency and district-level committee, wherever required.In a directive on Saturday, it directed all universities and colleges under its administrative control to maintain round-the-clock vigilance against ragging, making independent monitoring of anti-ragging measures and roster-based duty for dedicated squads mandatory across campuses and hostels.In the directive, joint secretary Mousumi Nayak also instructed the registrars of public and private universities as well as principals of degree, Sanskrit and teacher education colleges to strengthen anti-ragging mechanisms in line with the recommendations of University Grants Commission (UGC) and National Human Rights Commission.The institutions have been asked to ensure that anti-ragging committees and squads, besides monitoring cells are constituted as per the existing guidelines.They have been told to periodically review the anti-ragging measures and submit reports to the department.The colleges and universities have also been told to ensure representation of SC/ST communities in anti-ragging committees and related bodies.The directive specifically mandates a proper roster duty system for anti-ragging squads so that surveillance and monitoring continue without interruption. The institutions have been directed to conduct frequent and surprise inspections and maintain records of such checks.Besides enforcement measures, institutions have been advised to organise awareness programmes, orientation sessions for freshers and counselling support systems to address mental health concerns among students.The department reiterated that all institutions must strictly follow the UGC regulations on curbing the menace of ragging in higher educational institutions, 2009, and subsequent guidelines issued from time to time.The department’s directive comes in the wake of concerns over student safety and mental well-being in higher educational institutions. According to the reports of the UGC’s anti-ragging helpline, at least 79 complaints of ragging were registered from higher educational institutes from April 1 last year till date in Odisha. Of these 79 complaints, 10 were made by the students of public colleges and universities.