Anti Ragging Measures
Ragging has ruined countless innocent lives and careers. In order to eradicate it, Hon’ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No. 887 of 2009, passed the judgment wherein guidelines were issued for setting up of a Central Crisis Hotline and Anti-Ragging database.
Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act. 1999 which is in effect from 15th May 1999 has the following provision for action against Ragging.
Ragging within or outside of any educational institution is prohibited.
Whosoever directly or indirectly commits, participates in, abets, orpropagates ragging within or outside any educational institution shall, onconviction, be punished with imprisonment for term up to 2 years and /orpenalty which may extend to ten thousand rupees.
Any student convicted of an offence of ragging shall be dismissed from the educational institution for a period of five year from the date of order of such dismissal.
Whenever any student or, as the case may be, the parent of guardian or teacher of an educational institution complaints, in writing, of ragging to the head of the educational institution, the head of educational institution shall, without prejudice to the foregoing provisions, within seven days of the receipt of the complaint inquiry into the matter mentioned in the complaint and if, prima, facie, it is found true, suspend the student who is accused of the offence, and shall, immediately the complaint to the police station having jurisdiction over the area in which the educational institutions is situated, for further action. Where, on inquiry by the head of educational institution, it is found that there is no substance, prima facie, in the complaint received; he/she shall intimate the fact, in writing to the complaint. The decision of the head of the educational institution shall be final.If the head of the educational institution fails or neglect to act in manner specified in section "d" above when a complaint of ragging is made, such a person shall be deemed to have abetted the offence and shall, on conviction, be punished provided for in section "b" above.
