Preamble

In accordance with directives from the Hon’ble Supreme Court, and in alignment with the Central Government and the University Grants Commission’s resolve to eradicate ragging in all forms across higher education institutions, this Regulation aims to prohibit and prevent any behavior by students that may tease, treat rudely, or engage in rowdy or undisciplined activities causing annoyance, hardship, or psychological harm to any fresher or student. It seeks to prevent actions that induce shame, torment, or embarrassment, negatively affecting the physical and psychological well-being of students. Enacted under the authority vested by Clause (g) of sub-section (1) of Section 26 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, this Regulation is intended to foster a healthy environment conducive to the holistic development of all students. (Annexure-I)

Scope

The Anti-Ragging Policy clearly inform and educate all stakeholders in the system about the statutory provisions and the merits of the policy. A ragging-free campus would assure students and their parents a safe environment.

Objectives

• To Prevent, Prohibit, and Redress any and all forms and instances of Ragging in the College.
• To educate the students on the meaning of ragging and what constitutes it.
• To educate the students on the ill-effects of ragging and the consequences, including legal consequences of indulging in ragging.

What constitutes Ragging?

Ragging constitutes one or more of any of the following acts:

• Any conduct by any student or students whether by words spoken or written or by an act which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness a fresher or any other student
• Indulging in rowdy or in-disciplined activities by any student or students which causes or is likely to cause annoyance, hardship, physical or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in any fresher or any other student;
• Asking any student to do any act which such student will not in the ordinary course do and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame, or torment or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of such fresher or any other student;
• Any act by a senior student that prevents, disrupts or disturbs the regular academic activity of any other student or a fresher;
• Exploiting the services of a fresher or any other student for completing the academic tasks assigned to an individual or a group of students.
• Any act of financial extortion or forceful expenditure burden put on a fresher or any other student by students;
• Any act of physical abuse including all variants of it: sexual abuse, homosexual assaults, stripping, forcing obscene and lewd acts, gestures, causing bodily harm or any other danger to health or person;
• Any act or abuse by spoken words, emails, post, public insults which would also include deriving perverted pleasure, vicarious or sadistic thrill from actively or passively participating in the discomfiture to fresher or any other student;
• Any act that affects the mental health and self-confidence of a fresher or any other student with or without an intent to derive a sadistic pleasure or showing off power, authority or superiority by a student over any fresher or any other student.

Anti-ragging Committee (ARC)

As per UGC regulations, 2009 on curbing the menace of ragging in higher education institutes under para 6.3 (a&c) the university has constituted an anti-ragging committee as well as an anti-ragging squad consisting of the following members:


Head of the Institutions
• Representative of Civil administration
• Representative of Police administration
• Representative of Media
• Parent of Student as representative
• Representative of Senior Female Faculty
• Representative of Senior Male Faculty
• Representative of non-teaching staff
• One senior student
• One fresher Student
• Dean of the school
• Chief Warden
• Chief Proctor
• Security Officer

Anti-ragging Squad

An anti-ragging squad can constitute at university level with in charge of dean and members of senior staff members including hostel warden.




Responsibilities of Anti-ragging Committee

• To ensure compliance with the provision of UGC regulation 2009 at the institute level.
• To monitor the anti-ragging activities in the institution.
• To consider the recommendations of the Anti-Ragging Squad and take appropriate decisions, including spelling out suitable punishments to those are found to be guilty.
• A proper counselling will be done to the person who is found guilty by the committee members to see for the scope of improvement based on which punishment will be decided.
• Prepare and submit a complete report including their remarks about the incident for further action to the Head of Anti-Ragging Committee.



Roles and Responsibilities of Anti-Ragging Squad

• To make surprise raids on hostels and other places vulnerable to incidents of ragging.
• To conduct on the spot enquiry of any suspected incident of ragging.
• If any ragging incidents are found, the same shall be reported to the anti-ragging committee for further enquiry.

Complaint Procedure

• Any student (hereinafter mentioned as the ‘COMPLAINANT) shall have the right to file a complaint concerning any ragging against a male, female student/employee / faculty/administrative staff / research staff / any of the members of the Committee (hereinafter mentioned as the ‘COMPLAINEE’) as the case may be.
• Any COMPLAINANT may file a complaint within a period of one months from the date of incident. In case of a series of incidents, COMPLAINANT should file a case within a period of two months from the date of last incident.
• Where the aggrieved student is unable to file a complaint on account of her physical or mental incapacity or death or otherwise, her legal heir or such other person as may be prescribed may make a complaint under this section.
• All complaints will only be accepted in writing or mail. The Committee is allowed to take action even in the absence of a written complaint. Though a written complaint is must, however if the student does not want to do the same, he or she can mail on antiragging@itmuniversity.ac.in.
• Any complaint in writing has to be signed by the COMPLAINANT and will be read out to the complainant and will not be acted upon till the same is signed by the complainant.
• The complainant shall be afforded full secrecy at each stage.’
• The name, address, identity or any other particulars calculated to lead to identification of the COMPLAINANT shall be kept confidential and will not be disclosed even to the Committee, till the meeting in this regard is convened.
• Within a period of 5 working days from the date of such communication, the Chairperson shall convene a meeting to deal with the complaint and make preliminary enquiry/fact finding enquiry to verify the facts of the complaint. An Enquiry Committee will be constituted if the complaint is found genuine.

Inquiry Process

• Within five days of the start of the enquiry process, the Inquiry Committee of ITM University Gwalior shall furnish a copy of the complaint to the accused and complainant along with a written notice requiring both parties to furnish a written submission.
• Within a week, both parties shall submit to Inquiry Committee their replies to then documents that have been served on them.
• Within one week of the receipt of the replies above, The Enquiry Committee shall start the process of an oral hearing.
• In the course of the oral hearing, the complainant, the accused, and their witnesses will separately be given a chance to give an account of the instances alluded to in the complaint.
• All parties can also submit any relevant documentary evidence at the time of the oral hearing.
• The Enquiry Committee would also ask questions which have been submitted by the complainant and defendant for the other parties. However, The Enquiry Committee has the right to disallow any questions that it has reason to believe to be irrelevant, mischievous, or gender-insensitive.
• The Enquiry Committee may also call upon additional witnesses and ask them any questions that it may deem fit.
• The Enquiry Committee shall have the power to ask the relevant authorities for any official papers or documents pertaining to the complainant as well as the accused.
• The Enquiry Committee shall conduct the proceedings in a fair manner and shall provide reasonable opportunity to the complainant and accused for presenting and defending his/her case.
• At no time during the inquiry proceedings shall the accused and the complainant be placed face to face, or put in a situation where they may be face to face.
• If the accused fails, without valid ground, to present him for three hearing convened by the chairperson of the Enquiry Committee shall have right to take a decision on the complaint based upon available evidence.
• Lawyers are not allowed during the enquiry but both sides can avail help from them.
• In case, the Enquiry Committee decides to proceed with the complaint, they may have the option to settle the matter between COMPLAINANT & COMPLAINEE through conciliation. For this the wishes of the complainant shall be ascertained and if the complainant wishes that a warning would sufficient then the alleged offender shall be called to the meeting of the Committee, heard and if so satisfied that a warning is just and proper, he may be warned about his behavior.

Punishment Provisions

Any student or group of students found guilty of ragging on campus or off campus shall be liable to one or more of the following punishments:

• Debarring from appearing in any sessional test/ university examination or withholding results Suspension from attending classes and academic privileges.
• Withdrawing scholarships and other benefits.
• Suspension from the University for a Period of one month.
• Cancellation of admission
• Debarring from representing the institution in any national or international meet, tournament, youth festival, etc.
• Suspension/expulsion from the hostel
• Rustication from the institution for periods varying from 1 to 4 semesters or equivalent period
• Expulsion from the institution and consequent debarring from admission to any other institution
• Fine up to Rs. 25000/- (Twenty-Five Thousand rupees).
• Imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees or with both
• Collective punishment - When the students committing or abetting the crime of ragging are not identified, the institution shall resort to collective punishment as a deterrent to ensure community pressure on the potential raggers.

Measures For Preventions of Ragging in University Premises

• An anti-ragging committee formed by the staff council representing members from student and staff.
• An anti-ragging orientation program conducted for both students and parents for creating awareness regarding laws and action taken.
• The name of the members in the anti-ragging committee along with their phone numbers are displayed at prominent locations in the campus.
• Display of posters/banner/standee in the vulnerable areas of campus, Hostel, Canteen, Library etc. showcasing anti-ragging laws and ragging consequences along with the helpline number.
• An anti-ragging undertaking form is to be filled by all the students during admission time.
• Each student should also fill online undertaking at www.antiragging.in after confirmation of admission.
• Promote healthy interaction between senior and junior students through various cocurricular and extra-curricular activities.
• To extend counselling facility for the student indulgers in ragging.
• Whole campus should be covered by CCTV vigilance.

Amendments in the Policy

1) The policy will be suitably amended as per modifications in the prevailing laws.
2) In case of need, committee may amend the policy time to time.
3) As per the Supreme Court of India Directive, it is mandatory to ensure safety of women at workplace

Ragging is the serious offence and needs to be cured in the bud even before it takes any shape.