Delhi High Court Criticizes UGC’s Failure to Curb Ragging

Fast Summary

• Delhi High Court Rebuke: The Delhi High Court criticized the University Grants Commission (UGC) for failing to curb ragging incidents adn hinted at initiating a suo motu PIL regarding rising student suicides.
• Suicide Statistics: The 2022 NCRB report revealed that student suicides accounted for 13,044 deaths (7.6% of total suicides), higher than farmer and agricultural laborer deaths combined.
• UGC Helpline Complaints: Anti-ragging complaints have risen sharply – from 883 in 2022 to 1,084 in 2024; medical colleges account for 40% of cases.
• Funding Criticized: The court questioned UGC’s expenditure of ₹44 lakh annually for safeguarding approximately 35 million students, challenging it’s effectiveness.
• Supreme Court Concern: In March, the Supreme Court lamented lax enforcement of anti-ragging regulations that exist largely on paper; it directed FIR registrations and formation of a National Task Force on mental health.
• Mental Health Issues reported: A survey indicated that within one year, suicidal thoughts affected over 31% postgraduate students nationwide; nearly one-third reported experiencing faculty or senior abuse alongside ragging incidents.
• ASKT Role in Anti-Ragging Program: Aman Satya Kachroo trust previously managed UGC’s anti-ragging protocols successfully until recent years when operational shifts reportedly lead to inefficiencies like lack of anonymous complaint mechanisms.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The criticism by both the judiciary and activists underscores long-standing systemic weaknesses within India’s higher education institutions concerning bullying and mental health support. Despite meaningful reforms introduced by ASKT under UGC supervision post-2009, recent surges in complaints highlight lapses or waning institutional commitment toward sustaining these programs.

Key concerns noted include insufficient resource allocation relative to student populations and gaps such as the ineffective implementation mechanism cited by stakeholders. While regulatory frameworks continue to exist on paper-mandating affidavits against ragging-they appear unable to deter increasing incidents effectively.

This troubling data further points toward urgent needs for accountability structures addressing mental well-being alongside safety measures across campuses nationally.Institutions may need holistic reform encompassing preventative measures coupled with responsive crisis systems lest existing inefficiencies under state mechanisms perpetuate vulnerability among india’s youth amidst sprawling enrollment numbers.

Read more: Unending ordeal | On continuing acts of ragging
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