Medical Colleges to have Anti-Ragging Squads on Campus as NMC Issues New Rules to Crackdown Menance

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has released revamped anti-ragging guidelines. The new measures include the establishment of anti-ragging squads and authorities, installation of surveillance cameras in and around the campus covering all possible areas. The rules say that areas, where previous incidents of ragging were reported, should also be under surveillance and proper display of helpline numbers and other essential details related to anti-ragging committees should be visible.

In case a student is found delinquent and errant with his activities and has triggered a ragging incident, NMC has recommended stringent actions against the student. The punitive decision may incorporate expulsion, debarment from admission in any other institution for a period ranging from one to four semesters, or fine ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

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NMC has asked all medical institutions and exam-conducting organisations to include the regulations in their information brochure. The medical body has refined the guidelines related to ragging and mentioned the malevolent activities that will come under the category of ragging.

The commission has recommended a reduction in admission capacity and derecognition of an institution, among other exemplary punishments, if regulations are violated, under the Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges and Institutions Regulation 2021.

In addition, the apex body has directed the institutions to appoint a faculty member to every student as ‘mentors’. The mentors will foresee if their mentees are protected from any kind of torment on the campus.

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Initially, the guidelines had a broader context which had some loopholes. The new guidelines made against ragging of freshers have a detailed explanation of the activities. The guidelines also mentioned measures for the institution so that the campus is more hospitable for first-year students.

According to the statement released by NMC, disorderly conduct, psychological compulsion, derogatory remarks, financial expenditure pressure, slurs based on caste, religion, colour, sexual orientation will be considered ragging and necessary and strict actions will be taken against the institution for their failure to curb such activities.

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