It is prestigious that RIT campus is free from ragging, but I want to remind you about the anti- ragging affidavit signed by you and your parent and hoping you will act accordingly. It has been rightly said that the end may not always justify the means. Behind the façade of ‘welcoming’ new students to college, ragging, in actuality, is a notorious practice wherein the senior students get an excuse to harass their junior counterparts, and more often than not, make them easy targets to satiate their own perverse sadistic pleasures. Apart from sustaining grievous physical injuries, those unfortunate students who succumb to ragging either develop a fear psychosis that haunts them throughout their lives, or worse, quit their college education even before it begins. For any student who slogs day and night to secure admission into a prestigious college, ragging can be his or her worst nightmare come true. It would not be an exaggeration to say that, today, ragging has taken the shape of a serious human rights violation with even the most respected and disciplined educational institutes falling prey to it.
How Ragging Affects The Victim
1. An unpleasant incident of ragging may leave a permanent scar in the victim’s mind that may haunt him for years to come.
2. The victim declines into a shell, forcing himself into humiliation and alienation from the rest of the world
3. It demoralizes the victim who joins college life with many hopes and expectations.
4. Though incidents of physical assault and grievous injuries are not new, ragging also simultaneously causes grave psychological stress and trauma to the victim.
5. Those students who choose to protest against ragging are very likely to face isolation from their seniors in the future.
6. Those who succumb to ragging may drop out; thereby obstructing their career prospects.
7. In extreme cases, incidents of suicides and homicide have also been reported.
How Ragging Affects the Victim’s Family
One can imagine the plight of a ragging victim’s family, especially his or her parents who see their child suffering in pain and stress. Besides incurring medical and other incidental expenses to rehabilitate their child, they also have to bear the trauma of seeing his or her prospective career coming to an end.
How Ragging Affects the Educational Institution
1. Severe media barrage in extreme cases of ragging lowers the character of the educational institution and destroys the respect and faith it commands from society.
2. Those who indulge in ragging bring a bad name to their college thereby hinder its reputation and goodwill in society.
How Ragging Affects The Raggers
Ragging does not spare even its perpetrators. Those found guilty of ragging may be suspended, blacklisted and even permanently expelled from college.
Raggers could be given rigorous imprisonment up to three years or a fine up to Rs.25000/-, or both. The educational institutions may prescribe otherpunishments such as suspension from classes, from the hostel, etc.
University Grant Commission (UGC):
Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi
Phone No.: 23232701 / 23236735 / 23239437
National Anti-Ragging Helpline
Phone No: 18001805522
Email - Helpline@antiragging.in