RAGGING FREE CAMPUS - RIMS, Bhawanigarh

 

ANTI-RAGGING POLICY

 

1. INTRODUCTION

 

1.1 'Merit' and 'Ethics' being the core driving values towards turning out professionals of high caliber with strong sense of ethical judgments, social integration of student's population coming from different parts of the country with most diverse cultural and social back grounds, becomes a matter of prime importance. 'Ragging' a social menace, as such has no place in academic environment of the Institute and concerted efforts are required to be in place to prevent its occurrence at any point of time. Hence the need for a balanced 'antiragging policy' to be adopted by the Institute

 

1.2 Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, during December 2007 has expressed concern over the incidents of ragging occurring in higher educational institutions and the need to eliminate it altogether.

 

1.3 The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India has taken a serious note of the incidents of ragging and is of the view that stern action should be taken against those indulging in "ragging" so that these incidents are not repeated and exemplary punishment is meted out to those indulging in it. Strict implementation of the guidelines issued by Hon'ble Supreme Court on this issue has also been stressed by the Ministry.

 

1.4 Ragging is a criminal offence and lowers the standards of education. The 'anti-ragging policy' adopted by the Institute takes care of preventive, procedural and punitive aspects of ragging based on the guidelines provided by Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, recommendations of the Raghavan Committee, instructions/guidelines issued by the Ministry of HRD (Govt. of India).

 

2. ANTI-RAGGING POLICY

 

2.1 This policy encourages socialization of students to the academic environment of the Institute, simultaneously discouraging and preventing any negative acts on parts of senior students, which goes against the basic purpose of socio-academic integration. The 'anti-ragging policy' adopted by the Institute therefore is aimed at:

(a) Creation, development and nurturing a conducive, socio-academic environment within the student population.

 

(b) Generating and maintaining a high level of confidence within new entrants and their parents/guardians to perceive that fresh entrants to the Institute are welcome and provided support, rather than being harassed and intimidated.

 

(c) Keeping in place an integrated system to discourage and prevent any negative acts like 'ragging' by the seniors, which disrupts socio-academic integration of new entrants.

 

(d) Prescribing deterrent measures for any violation of the "Anti-Ragging Policy" by way of disciplinary measures.

 

3. DEFINITIONS

3.1 For the purpose of this policy the following are defined as under: -

'Institute' means the Rehbar Institute of Medical Sciences and Rehbar Hospital, Rehbar Institute of Education, Rehbar Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbi Medical College.

'Student' includes any person who is enrolled for any course, whether full time or part time with the Institute. This also includes research associates/scholars or a visitors, and / or a repeaters. 'Hostel' includes the place/(s) where students are accommodated through institutional arrangement.

'Ragging' constitutes one or more of any of the following acts:

(a) a conduct by any student or a group of students whether by words spoken or written or by an act which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling any other student with rudeness; (b) indulging in rowdy or undisciplined activities by a student or group of students which causes or is likely to cause annoyance, hardship, physical or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in any other student;

(c) asking a student to do any act which the student will not carry out in the ordinary course and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame, or torment or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of such student(s);

(d) any act by a student that prevents, disrupts or disturbs the regular academic activity of any other student(s);

(e) exploiting the services of any student for completing the academic tasks assigned to an individual or a group of students.

(f) any act of financial extortion or forceful expenditure burden put on a student by any other student or a group of students;

(g) any act of physical abuse including all variants of it: sexual abuse, homosexual assaults, stripping, forcing obscene and lewd acts, gestures, causing bodily harm or any other danger to health or person;

(h) any act or abuse by spoken words, emails, posts, social networking posts, e-posts, public insults which would also include deriving perverted pleasure, vicarious or sadistic thrill from actively or passively participating in the discomfiture to a student(s); (i) any act that affects the mental health and self-confidence of a student with or without an intent to derive a sadistic pleasure or showing off power, authority or superiority by any student or a group of students over any other student(s).

 

PREVENTIVE ASPECTS OF RAGGING

 

4.1 Systemized Efforts for Socio-Academic Integration of New Entrants.

 

(a) Address by the Competent Authorities of the Institute. Chairperson and other concerned official(s) during their address/discussions to/with parents/guardians, admission aspirants/ fresh entrants/ students at the time of counseling meets, new batch induction on registration, batch inaugurals and other such occasions, should invariably assure the students and parents about full protection and support against any attempts of ragging by seniors while briefly introducing the 'Anti Ragging Policy' of the Institute. The efforts during such meets be directed towards achieving socio-academic integration of new entrants with the specific merit oriented environment of mutuality and trust of the Institute.

 

(b) New batch inaugurals, The Chairman, Principal and faculty members, during new batch inaugurals may provide to the students, the guidelines on expected behavioural norms wherein a mention to the Anti ragging policy may be made.

 

(c) Welcome Party for New Entrants Senior students shall be encouraged to organize a "Welcome Party" for new entrants.

 

(d) Mentoring Cells 'Mentoring Cell' shall function under the guidance of a Senior Faculty and in direct supervision of the 'Chairman, and counselor.

 

(e) Watch and Ward arrangements The Institute has identified following vulnerable locations (i) Hostel blocks and mess, (ii) Vacant class rooms. (iii) Auditorium (iv) Canteen, (v) Playground (vi) Student activity centres, (vii) Favourite joints of students in the vicinity. All concerned are to keep a constant vigil and watch at such locations including monitoring of the atmosphere and the environment at eating 'Joints' (Canteens, Mess etc.), Hostel / accommodations, where students are accommodated. These areas are needed to be carefully guarded if required by posting security personnel.

 

4.2 Wide - dissemination of Anti-Ragging Policy Prospectus and Admission forms (i) All prospectus should contain a specific caution that "ragging is banned in the Institute, and anyone found indulging in ragging, is likely to be punished appropriately which may include expulsion from the institute." (ii) All students of the Institute are required to sign an anti-ragging declaration forms (Annexure I and II) at the time of admission to the institute. Erection of Posters Academic programme office may put up posters in prominent places within the campus to exhort students to prevent, or not to indulge in ragging, also mentioning the names of the officials and their contact numbers, to be contacted in case of "ragging". The same needs to be displayed on the website of the institute.

 

5. MONITORING ASPECTS OF RAGGING

 

5.1 Anti-Ragging Surveys Anonymous random surveys, across first year students be carried out every fortnight, during first three months, at all the constituents of the Institute, to verify and check, whether the campus is indeed free from 'ragging'.

 

5.2 Anti - Ragging Committee (ARC) at the Institute Level An Anti - Ragging Committee (ARC) should be constituted at Institute level to monitor the various aspects related to menace of ragging. The members of this committee can be nominated by the Chairman (of which one has to be necessarily a female member). The ARC may have Chairman and may also comprise of Chairperson and hostel wardens as other members in order to carry out the compliance of this policy across the whole institute along with the manner in which the same are dealt with.