Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court on Ragging in Medical Colleges

The Gujarat High Court recently disposed of the suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) about ragging at medical colleges after taking note of the regulations laid down by the State Government in this regard. Apart from the proposed measures to combat ragging in medical colleges across Gujarat, the Government Resolution (GR) issued by the state clarifies that the deans of the said colleges are responsible for effectively implementing the same.

The state has also suggested setting up an anti-ragging helpline. Making such a dedicated helpline one of the 10 mandatory requirements for a medical college, the State has also clarified that the helpline's number must be predominantly displayed not only on the website of the medical institute but also in the key areas of the campus, such as hostels, canteens, and libraries.

Also Read: HC takes cognizance of Ragging Menace in Gujarat Medical Colleges, Issues notice

The government issued a slew of instructions for deans of all medical colleges. As per the latest media report by the Times of India, now, the dean of the medical college shall be responsible for the effective implementation of the regulations. On the other hand, both the students and their parents must submit an undertaking during admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses assuring that the students concerned would not be involved in such an activity.

It had earlier been reported that the Gujarat High Court had initiated a suo motu PIL on the issue of 'Ragging Menace' in educational institutes of the State based on a news report in a local bulletin regarding an incident of ragging in a private medical college of Vadodara district. The report had been published in the newspaper on 03.01.2023.

Last year, the HC bench comprising Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh Shastri also impleaded the Commissioner of Health, Medical Services, Medical Education and Research, Principal Secretary, Higher and Technical Education, Commissionerate of Higher Education, and the Commissioner of Technical Education and issued notices to them. Back then, the bench had directed them to submit an affidavit for taking steps to contain the issue.

Later, last month, the State Government told the Gujarat High Court that it issued a resolution to curb the menace of ragging in higher and technical educational institutions and had conveyed to them to comply with it.

The government resolution (GR) was issued based on regulations issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the guidelines issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC), the State had informed the HC bench.

TOI adds that by filing an affidavit, the State Government informed the Gujarat HC about a government resolution that was issued on March 21, asking the medical colleges to comply with the regulations set by NMC. This came after the earlier regulations dated March 19, issued to address the issue of ragging in professional courses, including medical colleges.

Indian Express adds that the State by the GR dated March 21, mandated that all the government medical colleges, GMERS colleges, medical colleges administered by municipal corporations, as well as self-financed medical colleges to ensure effective implementation of the National Medical Commission (Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges and Institutions) Regulations, 2021.

• Collecting anti-ragging undertaking from students and their parents at the time of admission.
• Keeping complaint boxes in multiple areas in the college premises and resolving these complaints regularly by the Dean.
• Commencing services of anti-ragging helpline number.
• Displaying provisions of punishment for ragging on notice boards.
• Regular campaigns to make senior students conversant regarding ragging and punishment for the offence.

Further, the GR has also made it mandatory for medical colleges to send detailed information regarding ragging to the National Medical Commission (NMC) in New Delhi in the form prescribed by the NMC every year.

During the hearing of the suo motu PIL on Monday, the HC bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha Mayee took into account the affidavit of compliance filed by the Additional Director of Medical Education and Research in the commissioner of health, medical services and medical education on April 5.

Taking note of this, the bench concluded that the State Government has now addressed the issues highlighted in the PIL.

Therefore, the HC concluded the litigation after taking cognisance of the Government's decisive action to curb ragging across all professional educational institutes. It also observed that all higher education institutions/professional colleges in Gujarat must follow the rules and regulations framed by the regulatory bodies to provide an anti-ragging framework in the concerned institutes and also comply with the instructions issued in the GR. The new provisions introduced by the government to curb ragging also include provisions allowing even punishment for victims who remain silent about the incidents.

Further, the bench noted that "in case of any violation on part of administrative authority of such institutions, appropriate action will be taken by the appropriate authority."

Also Read: Gujarat Govt to issue GR to curb ragging menace in medical colleges