Kochi, Mar 5 Expressing concern at the present set of ragging laws, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday orally pointed out that rules need to be framed under the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998, to effectively tackle the menace.
The court also pointed out that the UGC has come up with detailed guidelines to curb ragging in colleges and the state might need to look into the need to introduce changes into the existing law.
It asked for a notice to be sent to the UGC and the case posted for further hearing on March 19.
Incidentally, on Tuesday, the court said that it will constitute a special bench to hear ragging cases in the state.
A division bench, headed by Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar, made the announcement while considering a PIL filed by the Kerala State Legal Service Authority (KeLSA) to curb the issue of ragging in the state.
The court on Wednesday said that the state can consider constituting a working group from different disciplines and can invite suggestions from the public for the purpose of formulating the rules.
The working group should also look into whether the existing state legislation needs to be amended, it added.
The court noted that once there is violence, the issue becomes the concern of the state.
"Once there is brutality and violence in ragging, it does not remain the concern of the individual student or the institution but has the effect of shocking the conscience of the society. Therefore, the state has a major role in ensuring that there is a robust prevention mechanism," it maintained.
Two ragging cases made headlines in Kerala, first when Sidharthan, a second-year student at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Pookode, Wayanad, was found dead in the hostel on February 18, 2024, after being tortured by his seniors and batch mates. A total of 19 students have been charged for multiple offences, including abetment to suicide and ragging.
Likewise, last month, five senior students of the state-run Nursing College at Kottayam were sent to jail for brutally ragging a junior student.
There have been other incidents also.
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