From Tradition to Terror
Ragging is often presented as a rite of passage that helps new students adjust to campus life at higher education institutions. Although juniors may learn campus customs and form a supportive community through positive interactions with seniors, ragging becomes a major problem when it results in harassment, humiliation, and violence. These incidents have the potential to cause long-lasting trauma, which will defeat the goal of promoting a welcoming and inclusive campus community.
Although ragging should provide students with a chance to connect and integrate, it often turns into harmful harassment. Instead of promoting a supportive environment, harassment leads ragging to be associated with violent behavior that fosters fear rather than friendship. Several tragic incidents, such as those at Kottayam Nursing College in Kerala and Kariavattom College in Thiruvananthapuram, have drawn attention to the harmful effects of ragging and highlighted the sinister aspect of ragging as a tradition.
For many years, ragging has been a serious form of bullying and harassment problem in Indian higher education institutions, often resulting in psychological trauma, suicide, and even violent crimes such as murder. Incidents continue despite Supreme Court orders and UGC anti-ragging regulations from 2009. The failure of enforcement was exposed by the death of 78 students as a result of ragging between 2012 and 2023. In Indian higher education institutions, ragging is primarily caused by socio-cultural factors. Senior students exert their dominance over juniors in a rigid hierarchy reinforced by Indian social structures. This reinforces the power-based social order in engineering colleges when seniors make juniors commit humiliating acts.
The hyper-masculine culture that glorifies aggression forces students to follow traditions of ragging. In medical schools, students are forced to complete endurance-based assignments in the name of “building resilience.”. Many higher education institutions discourage intervention unless extreme violence occurs because they view ragging as an initiation ritual. In Jadavpur University (2023), ragging was written about as a “bonding process” that resulted in the untimely death of a student.
Fear of retaliation, lack of effective witness protection, and social stigma make victims reluctant to report ragging. In 2009, Aman Kachru did not file a complaint earlier because he feared senior retaliation, even though he had been repeatedly abused. Peer pressure or suspicion about it prevents many students from reporting ragging.
Strict and swift punishments are essential to effectively eliminate ragging. To discourage potential raggers, ensure immediate disciplinary measures are taken, such as expulsion, legal prosecution, and blacklisting of the offender. Establish a private online complaint portal with strict resolution timelines and open monitoring. A new version of the University Grants Commission helpline with transparent accountability is needed, as the current helpline does not respond fast enough. Encourage positive senior-junior relationships and change attitudes by implementing mandatory workshops, sensitization campaigns, and mentorship programs. AIIMS Delhi reduces cases of ragging and promotes a supportive culture by offering counseling sessions to new students. Use behavior tracking, surprise checks, and CCTVs in hostels to identify potential issues before they become more serious.
IIT Madras has significantly reduced the number of raging incidents by using CCTVs and student profiling to monitor interactions. Establish an organized mentorship program where seniors can earn leadership certificates or academic credits for positively helping new employees. Senior students guide juniors through BITS Pilani’s “Buddy System,” which promotes constructive relationships rather than bullying. Behavioral assessments should be incorporated into the systems of higher education institutions to guarantee a safe and friendly environment for new students. Active observation can reveal information about potential threats. Support from organized mentoring programs can aid in treatment.
There is no single, universally applicable solution to the problem of ragging. Educational institutions, students, and society at large need to work together to establish a safe and caring environment. To eradicate ragging, a multi-pronged strategy, stringent legal enforcement, anonymous reporting systems, and prompt punitive action are needed. Strong mentoring networks, necessary sensitization programs, and encouraging compassionate peer interactions can change campus culture in ways other than deterrence. Institutional accountability and technology-driven monitoring will guarantee that higher education institutions are places of safety, inclusiveness, and holistic growth rather than fear.
The UGC should use clause 9.4 against institutions that do not comply. Fast-track trials and police verification are necessary to guarantee that offenders receive severe punishment. Hostels should be fitted with CCTVs that use AI-based facial recognition. To protect victims, a digital ID-based tracking system should be implemented. Implementation of psychological counseling and anti-ragging workshops should be mandatory. An inclusive culture should be promoted by student mentorship programs.
The response time and accessibility of UGC helplines need to be improved. There should be digital complaint portals that are anonymous and provide direct police alerts. Despite stringent laws and Supreme Court directives, India’s higher education system is still plagued by ragging. Legal action, institutional reforms, technology integration, and cultural change are all important components of a multi-pronged strategy.
