Himachals anti-ragging ordinance gets Cabinet nod

Seventeen years after the states anti-ragging law expired,the Himachal Cabinet on Friday approved a new ordinance.....

Seventeen years after the states anti-ragging law expired,the Himachal Cabinet on Friday approved a new ordinance. Himachal Pradesh Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Ragging) Ordinance,2009,proposes a total ban on ragging within or outside the premises of educational institutions. Heads of the institution will be responsible for enforcing the law. Any student guilty will be debarred from admission in any institution for a period of three years. The earlier ragging ordinance was promulgated in 1992.

A special Cabinet meeting,headed by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal,discussed the draft ordinance prepared by the states Home Department. The law will come into force once Governor Prabha Rau gives her assent.

The decision of the Government to frame a new law came after the shocking incident of ragging at Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College leading to the death of a first-year student,early this month.

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The 2009 ordinance,which happens to be an upgraded version of the earlier ordinance,provides that ragging shall be a cognizable,non-bailable and,with the permission of the Court,a compoundable offence. Any student convicted of an offence under the ordinance shall be expelled from the educational institution and shall not be eligible for admission in any other educational institution for a period of three years from the date of such expulsion. Such offenders will be punished with imprisonment of up to three years,or fine of up to Rs 50,000,or both, it proposes.

Whenever any student,or,as the case may be,the parents or a teacher of an educational institution,or an office-in-charge makes a complaint of ragging in writing to the head of the educational institution,he shall be required to probe into the same within 24 hours,in addition to intimating the higher authorities,and if it is found true,suspend the student found guilty.

And in case the complaint received is unfounded,he shall intimate the factual position in writing to the complainant.

It further provides that failure on the part of the institutional disciplinary authority or negligence,or deliberate delay in lodging the FIR will be construed to be an act of culpable negligence and attract punishment of up to one year imprisonment or fine up to Rs 10,000,or both. The head of the educational institution or in-charge will be punished for a term which may extend up to two years or with fine which may extend up to Rs 25,000,or both for failing to implement the provisions of the ordinance.

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The Cabinet also approved the setting up of Aman Kachroo Memorial Trust with a corpus of Rs 50 lakh to provide scholarships to meritorious students.