New Delhi: Expressing disappointment over some degree of helplessness shown by the regulatory bodies in eliciting information from educational institutions, Dr. R.K. Raghavan asked the regulatory bodies to prepare specific and strict regulations to enforce anti-ragging measures in the Higher Educational Institutions.

He further asked the regulatory bodies to take all steps to ensure that educational institutions under their purview become zero tolerance campuses in respect of ragging.

The Raghavan Committee appointed by the Supreme Court for monitoring the measures to prevent ragging in higher educational Institutions met at New Delhi yesterday to take stock of the situation and review the progress made by different regulatory bodies and other stakeholders who have been directed by the Court to implement the recommendations of this Committee's report on anti-ragging measures.

Representative from the University Grants Commission (UGC) informed the Committee that a separate Cell has been constituted in the Commission to look after the matters relating to ragging in Universities and colleges.

The visiting committee set up by UGC for 11th Plan Development assistance shall be responsible to sensitize the institution about the prevention of ragging.

The Monitoring Committee felt that release of grants under various schemes of the UGC should be linked with the compliance by institutions with the directions of the Supreme Court of India in this regard.

Incentives by way of higher grants should be provided by the Commission to the higher educational institutions which ensure that ragging does not take place in their campuses in any form, the Committee felt.

The Committee also asked statutory regulatory bodies to direct educational institutions to incorporate in admission notices appropriate messages regarding `zero tolerance' towards 'ragging'.

The Committee reiterated that as the Supreme Court has upheld the recommendation that ragging lowered the standards of higher education, each regulatory body responsible for maintaining standards of higher education was required to ensure that the directions of the Apex Court were strictly complied with.

Wherever any incident of ragging is reported and institutions do not take adequate steps for redressing the grievance, regulatory bodies must conduct enquiries through fact finding committees, the Committee observed.

Since the ensuing academic session is likely to commence shortly, the Committee urged the Central Government to take immediate steps to take up intensive multi-media publicity campaign in order to reinforce anti-ragging measures as directed by the Supreme Court.

Representatives from the UGC, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Medical Council of India (MCI), Dental Council of India (DCI) and Nursing Council of India attended the meeting. PIB