Activists claim that the UGC cell is on hold due to persistent complaints | India News – Times of India

Medical colleges figure disproportionately in the list of complaints to the UGC’s anti-ragging cell, but anti-ragging activists complain that the complaints do not always lead to action. As an example, they cite the complaint by first-year students of JLN Medical College in Raipur about being forced to have their heads massaged and being beaten and physically harassed in the hostel. No action has been taken on the complaint so far.
Within weeks of the 2024 academic year starting October 14, the Anti-Ragging Cell has received over 55 complaints from medical colleges across India, which is almost 42% of the total complaints received from all colleges. As of 2024, of the 800 complaints received by the cell so far, 222 were from medical colleges and 230 from engineering and polytechnic colleges. This is despite the fact that there are just over 700 medical colleges, compared to over 8,000 engineering and technology colleges.
In four cases from medical colleges, the victims committed suicide. Anti-ragging activists say UGC data does not even record all incidents as you cannot register an anonymous complaint. “The reported case of serious rampage at RVRS Medical College in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, does not appear in the UGC’s complaint list even though the students tried to complain. They insisted that the identity of the student be revealed and since the student was unwilling to do so, the complaint does not figure in the list,” explains Gaurav Singhal Society against violence in education (SAVE), a nonprofit organization working to prevent ragging.
“In the case of JLN Medical College, Raipur, even though the complaint was registered, no action was taken by the UGC or the college authorities. This college is notorious for its misconduct and equally infamous for a government that refuses to act. The authorities called the entire first year batch and asked if anything was wrong,” said Rupesh Kumar Jha of SAVE.
Jha said most complaints were filed anonymously because if a student’s identity were revealed, seniors could accuse him or her of even more serious assault and abuse.
“This is a common problem. So victims are scared. If you are serious about tackling ragging, anonymous complaints should be given priority. It is up to the UGC or the college authorities to investigate and verify the truth in such complaints. In JLN Medical College, the boys were forced to shave their heads. If students walk around in uniform with shaved heads or if all the freshmen have a peculiar hairstyle, this is evidence of tampering. How can the college authority deny this?’ asked Jha. “The college sees it as a personal attack on them and almost never acts on their own strength. Instead of being grateful that students tell them that everything is not going well at the university, they make the complainant a victim students are not expected to do the same.” seek help within the college. We must prevent raids by implementing the detailed action plan mandated by the Supreme Court in 2009,” said Prof. Rajendra Kachroo, father of Aman Kachroo who died in violent raids in 2009.
Neither the university authorities nor the National Medical Commission (NMC), UGC or the Health Ministry responded to queries from TOI about non-response to complaints about rampant practices of the university.