Shimla, March 21 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Health Minister Rajeev Bindal Saturday said that the new anti-ragging ordinance has stringent provisions to deal with not only those who are indulging in ragging but also against the college authorities.
The state government has brought an anti-ragging ordinance, Himachal Pradesh Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Ragging) Ordinance, 2009.
“Very shortly we (the government) will have a law to deal firmly against those indulging in (these) sadistic pleasures. The college authorities have been told to act tough and not spare the guilty,” he said.
“Under the new ordinance, there are provisions of action not only against those indulging in ragging within or outside the premises of educational institutions but also against the authorities managing the day-to-day affairs,” he said.
The ordinance has replaced a 17-year-old ordinance.
“The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) government could not bring legislation in 1992 as it was dismissed following the imposition of president’s rule in the state,” Bindal said. “Since 1992, none of the four successive governments bothered to replace the ordinance by an act.”
Indira Gandhi Medical College principal Surinder Kashyap said: “If the ordinance is converted into law, ragging would be made a cognisable, non-bailable offence compoundable with the permission of the court.
“Any student convicted of an offence under the ordinance will be liable to be punished with imprisonment up to three years or fine of up to Rs.50,000 or both.
“The offender will be expelled from the institution and will not be eligible for admission in any other institution for a period of three years.”
The ordinance says that whenever a complaint of ragging is made in writing to the head of the educational institution, he will be required to conduct an inquiry within 24 hours and also inform the higher authorities.
Failure on the part of the institution to initiate disciplinary actions or deliberate delay in lodging a report with the police will attract imprisonment up to one year or fine up to Rs.10,000 or both.
Anil Chauhan, the new principal of the Rajendra Prasad Medical College (RPMC) at Tanda town, said: “Our college will soon have a Parent Teacher Association so that issues related to the students could be taken up on priority.”
Ironically, as the state cabinet Friday approved the draft of the anti-ragging ordinance, a case of ragging and manhandling of a first-year student of the Indira Gandhi Medical College surfaced in which two interns were suspended.
The new case of ragging comes just weeks after Aman Kachru, a first-year student of the RPMC, died after he was beaten up in the name of ragging allegedly by four final-year students.