RAGGING IS A CRIME

FONT IS RED LIKE CRIME

Ragging -

Ragging involves abuse, humiliation or harassment of new entrants or junior students by the senior students. It often takes a malignant form wherein the newcomers may be subjected to psychological or physical torture.

If you need help then contact -Register a complaint at National Anti-Ragging Helpline. (

You may register the complaint on toll-free phone number (1800-180-5522), or through email (helpline@antiragging.in).

Types of RAGGING -

Dress code ragging[edit]

The freshmen are asked to dress in a specific dress code for a particular period of time. The dress code prescribed is generally unusual, e.g. dressing completely in white or black with the hair oiled and combed in a particular style, dressing shirts that do not contain stripes, dressing long skirts for girls. Dress code ragging may make freshmen feel uncomfortable, as it often brings them unnecessary attention from everybody else.

Verbal abuse

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Verbal torture involves indulging in loose talks.^{[clarification needed]} The freshmen may be asked to sing the lyrics of any vulgar song or use abusive language in the presence of a large number of peers. During this time, seniors assign an abusive and demeaning nickname, known as card, to the juniors and they have to be called by that name throughout their entire university life. In some universities, this nickname is changed to a less vulgar name after the ragging period. These aliases are used primarily as a means of preventing the university authorities identifying the students who are involved in ragging and other unlawful activities. The form of verbal ragging differs from one institution to another. In some universities, students have to memorize poems made up of filth and recite them in front of others.

Physical abuse

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The freshers are asked to do various tasks, such as sit-ups or push-ups, sitting in the murga pose, being forced to address seniors as 'sir'/'ma'am' , or removing their shirts. On an attempt to resist carrying out the activities, they may beat the fresher with baseball bats or slap them.

Though, in India, if a complaint is lodged against that senior, he/she (and others who were present that time) will be given a strict punishment such as expulsion from university, imprisonment for a year etc.

Academic performance

The seniors may attempt to harass or threaten the junior to complete their assignments, bunk classes, not to take part in any activities or be a part of clubs etc. But sometimes reverse is done by not letting freshers to do any academic related activity except for attending lectures during university hours which is said to be in order to prepare the freshers for heavier workloads during their upcoming years.

Although, it comes under extreme cases of ragging and on complaint will lead to strict punishment to the seniors.

Anti-Ragging Helpline and anonymous complaints

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Following a Supreme Court order, a National Anti-Ragging Helpline was created to help the victims and take action in cases of ragging, by informing the head of the institution and the local police authorities of the ragging complaint from the college. The main feature of the helpline is that the complaints can be registered anonymously.^[7]^[8]

India's National Anti-Ragging Helpline started working in June 2009 to help students in distress due to ragging. It can be reached through email and a 24-hour toll-free number. Provision for anonymous complaints was considered of utmost important at the time of establishment of the helpline, since the victim after making the complaint remains with or close to the culprits, away from a fully secure environment. Since many ragging deaths, like Aman Kachroo's,^[11] occurred due to seniors taking a revenge of the complaint made, anonymous complaints were equally allowed at the helpline.

As per UGC regulations, it is mandatory for a college to register an F.I.R.^{[clarification needed]} with police against the culprits if any violence, physical abuse, sexual harassment, confinement etc. takes place with any fresher.^[12] After receiving any such complaint from the helpline, it becomes the duty of the head of the institution to register the F.I.R. with police within 24 hours. In 2013, a police case was registered against the director, dean and registrar of a reputed college in Delhi for, among other charges, not informing the police and registering F.I.R. within 24 hours of receiving the ragging complaint. (failing to inform a public authority, IPC 176).^[13]

The database of the Anti-Ragging Helpline indicates that it has been to an extent successful in ensuring a safer environment in colleges from where it registered the complaints. In many cases, it forwarded the complaint to the University Grants Commission (UGC) for an action against those colleges which refused to take any action against the culprits.^{[citation needed]}