Victims of ragging can now get early redress by registering their complaints on a web portal, inaugurated by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal today.
The Minister assured early action on complaints of ragging and strict punishment to the guilty.
Once a complaint is registered, there would be an automatic reference to a helpline, and if the complaint is of very serious nature, it would be transferred to the district magistrate’s office.
Mr Sibal said the anti-ragging web portal had been launched in persuance of the Ministry’s commitment made to the Supreme Court in 2009. The apex cout had described ragging as a crime that destroyed the life and career of students, and had called for early elimination of this practice.
The court has ordered implementation of a ragging prevention programme, which included setting up a toll-free anti-ragging helpline/call centre, database of institutions/students, engaging an independent non-government agency for monitoring the ragging prevention programme.
As part of the portal, an anti-ragging helpline has been created, and all calls received by the helpline (18001805522) will be managed and followed up in a structured software system.
The programme has been launched in the public-private partnership mode.
Students can see the progress of their complaint any time on www.antiragging.in.
Mr Raj Kachroo, who is founder of a trust appointed by the UGC for monitoring the ragging prevention programme, said during the last three years of mintoring it has been found that ragging problem was more widespread and serious in medical colleges, and in this respect the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh scored the worst.
The portal has been developed by the UGC in collaboration with Ed.CIL (India) Ltd and Planet E-Com Solutions.
–UNI–