Kerala’s Higher Education Minister R. Bindu has stressed the need for a State-level anti-ragging mechanism to address the growing concerns of ragging in educational institutions.
Addressing mediapersons here on Tuesday (February 18), the Minister condemned recent incidents of ragging and emphasised the need for stringent measures to curb such practices and protect students.
Kerala has witnessed widespread public outcry over ragging incidents at the Government College of Nursing, Kottayam, and the Government College, Karyavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, over the last few days. A year ago, J.S. Sidharthan was found dead at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University after being subjected to brutal ragging. Several students have been suspended and are facing ongoing legal action in connection with these incidents.
While condemning the unfortunate incidents, Dr. Bindu highlighted that the Higher Education department has consistently instructed all institutions under its jurisdiction to establish anti-ragging cells. Many colleges have successfully operationalised these panels, with the Karyavattom college being cited as an example of swift action taken by its anti-ragging cell in response to the reported incident.
Importance of reporting cases
However, the Minister stressed the importance of students boldly reporting incidents of ragging to either the anti-ragging cell or the principal, as timely intervention is essential to prevent further occurrences. “We often find that students hesitate to approach these systems. Awareness is required to build trust in these mechanisms,” she remarked.
Emphasising the need for a State-level system to coordinate anti-ragging efforts, she pointed out that the existing three-tier system – at the University Grants Commission (UGC), university and college levels – has proven insufficient.
The Minister also announced plans to convene a meeting of principals from institutions under the Higher Education department to promote greater awareness of the anti-ragging systems in place.
