Anti-ragging helpline for Uttar Pradesh colleges soon

Lucknow: All engineering, management and medical colleges and professional institutes in Uttar Pradesh will soon have a state-level 24x7 anti-ragging helpline.

An action plan in this regard has been started on the instructions of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, a senior technical education department officer told IANS.

The move also enables college managements to not only expel students found involved in ragging but also blacklist them from getting re-admission for the next five years.

The instructions have been issued from the highest level and well before the start of the new session keeping in mind a Supreme Court verdict on ragging, the official said.

At a meeting held at the state secretariat Friday, Principal Secretary (Technical Education) RC Srivastava asked officials to ensure that all campuses in medical, engineering and management colleges, government and private colleges, institutes, hostels, canteens, orphanages and coaching institutes be made ragging-free.

Srivastava warned vice chancellors, principals, department heads, directors and management bodies of punitive and legal action for incidents of ragging in their campuses.

He said if complaints reached him and were found to be true, they would be held responsible.

Provisions have also been made in rules for Rs.10,000 as fine or two years of imprisonment, the official said.

At the government's level, district magistrates and divisional commissioners have been asked to ensure that not only do colleges in their areas stop ragging but also ensure that anti-ragging measures are widely propagated.

A 24x7 helpline would be established and a written record would be kept of all calls received and action taken.

The government has also asked educational institutions to form anti-ragging squads, which would also raid premises other than within the campus.

The provision of lodging first information reports or police complaints in ragging cases should also be exercised, senior state officials have said.

The modalities for setting up the helpline were being worked out, said Secretary(Technical Education) Amrit Abhijat.