India
Medical colleges face rise in anti-ragging complaints amid inaction | India News – Times of India
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 more than 8,000 engineering and technology colleges. In four cases from medical colleges, the victims committed suicide.
Anti-ragging activists say the UCG data doesn’t even capture all incidents because you can’t register an anonymous complaint. “The reported case of serious havoc at RVRS Medical College in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, does not appear in the UGC complaint list even though the students tried to complain. They insisted that the identity of the student be revealed and since the student was not willing to do so, the complaint does not figure in the list,” explains Gaurav Singhal of the non-profit organization that works on litter prevention, Society Against Violence in Education (SAVE). ).
“In the case of JLN Medical College, Raipur, though the complaint was registered, no action has been taken by the UGC or the college authorities. This council is notorious for its cheating and equally infamous for its government that refuses to act. The authorities called the entire freshman group together and asked if anything was wrong. Obviously no one would say anything in a public place. The students were forced to write an apology,” said Rupesh Kumar Jha from 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 afraid. If you take the fight against ragging seriously, anonymous complaints need to be addressed. It is for the UGC or the university authorities to investigate and verify the truth in such complaints. At the 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 strange hairstyle, that is proof that there is a frenzy. How can the university authority deny this?” Jha asked.
“The council sees it as a personal attack on them and almost never acts on its own. Instead of being grateful that students tell them that all is not well at university, they victimize the complainer. Therefore, students cannot be expected to seek help within the college. We must prevent disorder by implementing the detailed action plan ordered by the Supreme Court in 2009,” the spokesperson said Prof. Rajendra KachrooAman Kachroo’s father who died in 2009 due to violent rags. Pro Kachroo fought the case which led to a Supreme Court order establishing rules against rags.
Neither the college authorities nor the National Medical Commission (NMC), the UGC or the Health Ministry responded to queries from TOI about non-response to JLN Medical College’s ragging complaints.
When action was taken this year
March
Nine students, including two interns, a nursing student and a junior researcher, were suspended for 45 days and fined Rs 50,000 each for inciting juniors at the Dr. YS Parmar Medical College, Nahan in Himachal Pradesh. The punished students are not allowed to participate in any sporting or literary activity for one year.
Be able to
Two fourth-year students suspended for physically assaulting first-year students at Tirunelveli Government Medical College
Four students, including two women pursuing MS in surgery at Narendra Modi Medical College in Ahmedabad, were suspended. One student was suspended for two years, one for one year and two for 25 days for defamation, including indecent behavior and harassment, such as not being allowed to eat for seven days.
June
Action against six students for verbally abusing a second-year student – three suspended for six months and the other three barred from hostel and library for six months and a fine of Rs 25,000 imposed each on the Government Medical College, Aurangabad in Maharashtra
Two students were expelled from internship and hostel for a year and fined Rs one lakh for physically assaulting a junior at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda in Himachal Pradesh. Two others were fined Rs 50,000 and suspended for six months for harassing youth through WhatsApp messages
FIR against seven second-year students at Government Medical College, Dungarpur in Rajasthan, after a student they confused suffered kidney damage and had to undergo dialysis
Four fourth-year students were expelled from the hostel for six months and fined Rs 10,000 each. Accused of hurling abuses and assaulting juniors
October
FIR against 18 students in Tripura Medical College. A collective fine of Rs 10 lakh for the accused, suspension for one year from hostels and monitoring of the accused’s mobile phones for a period of six months. Accused of forcing little boys to shave their heads, forcing girls to propose to their seniors, and of repeated abuse and humiliation
Two fourth year students of Grant Medical College, Mumbai, suspended from hostel for one year for harassing a first year student by harassing him and forcing him to dance
Seven female students and three male students have been expelled from the college campus for a week in two separate incidents in which thirteen junior students were robbed from Shri Jagannath Pahadiya Medical College, Bharatpur in Rajasthan.
Nine second-year students have been suspended from the college campus and hostel for harassing juniors through video calls at King George Medical University, Lucknow.
Ten doctors have been permanently suspended for defamation, harassment and creating a culture of fear at RG Kar Medical College. 59 temporarily suspended while further investigations are underway.
November
Five fourth year students of MKCG Medical College, Berhampur in Odisha have been evicted from the hostel. FIR registered.
2023 batch suspended from college for one month and fined Rs 3,000 each for inciting 2024 batch boys by asking them to shave their heads at Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College, Hazaribagh in Jharkhand.
