Bhubaneswar: With the new academic session approaching, the higher education department has proposed a three-tier grievance redressal system for ragging complaints. This system comprises the institutional cell, a monitoring agency, and a district-level committee, wherever required.
In a directive issued on Saturday, the department instructed all universities and colleges under its administrative control to maintain round-the-clock vigilance against ragging. It made independent monitoring of anti-ragging measures and roster-based duty for dedicated squads mandatory across campuses and hostels.
Joint Secretary Mousumi Nayak, in the directive, also instructed registrars of public and private universities as well as principals of degree, Sanskrit, and teacher education colleges to strengthen anti-ragging mechanisms. These measures align with the recommendations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the National Human Rights Commission.
Institutions have been asked to ensure that anti-ragging committees and squads, besides monitoring cells, are constituted as per existing guidelines. They have been told to periodically review anti-ragging measures and submit reports to the department.
Colleges and universities have also been directed to ensure representation of SC/ST communities in anti-ragging committees and related bodies. The directive specifically mandates a proper roster duty system for anti-ragging squads so that surveillance and monitoring continue without interruption. Institutions have been directed to conduct frequent and surprise inspections and maintain records of such checks.
Beyond enforcement measures, institutions have been advised to organize awareness programs, orientation sessions for freshers, and counseling support systems to address mental health concerns among students. The department reiterated that all institutions must strictly follow the UGC regulations on curbing the menace of ragging in higher educational institutions, 2009, and subsequent guidelines issued from time to time.
The department's directive comes amid concerns over student safety and mental well-being in higher educational institutions. According to reports from the UGC's anti-ragging helpline, at least 79 complaints of ragging were registered from higher educational institutes in Odisha between April 1 of the previous year and the present date. Of these 79 complaints, 10 were made by students of public colleges and universities.
