Raghavan panel blames alcoholism in Aman Kachroo case, Centre promises online helpline

Working on helpline for ragging victims: Centre

The Hindu, Legal Correspondent, 21 April 2009

Amann’s father suggested creation of an anti-ragging database: Centre

Government plans to put in place the mechanism in about a week

New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has began work on developing a model for the crisis-centre helpline to enable ragging victims across the country to seek immediate help.

Amicus curiae and Additional Solicitor-General (ASG) Gopal Subramaniam gave this information before a Bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and A.K. Ganguly hearing petitions relating to cases of ragging in Dr. Rajendra Prasad government Medical College, Himachal Pradesh, and College of Agricultural Engineering, Bapatla, in Andhra Pradesh.

The two cases were referred to the R.K. Raghavan Committee, which submitted its report to the court. The ASG said the recent incidents of ragging — one in Coimbatore and the other in Goa — had also been referred to the Committee for probe.

The ASG, in his status report, referred to the Raghavan Committee’s findings and said the father of Amann Kachroo had sent a proposal to the government on creating an anti-ragging database.

Mr. Gopal Subramaniam said: “Amann’s father [Dr. Rajendra Kachroo] suggested creation of a database of students and ragging complaints, which will ensure effective monitoring and prevention of ragging. This methodology also involves setting up a crisis-centre hotline, wherein students affected by ragging can call for help.”

The ASG said that “the Ministry of HRD has already commenced work on developing a model for the crisis-centre helpline and the anti-ragging database. The Ministry has sought the assistance of Educational Consultants India Ltd. as a consultant in this project.” He said the government proposed to put in place the mechanism in about a week.

Mr. Gopal Subramaniam said the Ministry, in consultation with the UGC, the MCI, the AICTE and other similar regulatory bodies should set up a central crisis-hotline and anti-ragging database in the manner suggested by Dr. Rajendra Kachroo to the Raghavan Committee and the UGC. “Once the database/crisis hotline is operative, State governments should amend their anti-ragging statutes to include provisions that place penal consequences on institutional heads who do not take timely steps in the prevention of ragging and in punishing those who resort to ragging. .”

Alcoholism

The Raghavan Committee, in its report on the death of Amann, said alcoholism on the campus, failure of college to constitute an anti-ragging squad and implement the recommendations to prevent ragging were the reasons for the incident. It also blamed the MCI for not taking immediate action to put down the menace.

The court posted the matter for Thursday asking the Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh governments to file their response to the report.

Similar reports:


SC ordered Centre to setup anti-ragging website

Indiaedunews.net, April 21, 2009

New Delhi: The recent incidents of ragging in colleges leading to deaths of the victim or their attempt to commit suicide have instigated government to take a stern step in this matter.

To curb the menace of ragging, Centre has decided to setup an anti-ragging helpline in the form of a website for harassed freshers within a week’s time.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG), Gopal Subramaniam stated this in the Supreme Court on April 20 as the Raghavan anti-ragging committee’s report on Kachroo’s death was presented.

Amann who intimated his parents regularly regarding the trauma he is going through in the hostel had insisted his parents not to take any steps in this matter with the hostel authorities as it may aggravate the situation more.

“This apprehension on the part of Amann led to his untimely tragic death,” the committee’s report said.

Two more incidents of ragging – one in Goa and the other at Coimbatore where attempts were made to spike the eyes of the fresher have also been referred to the Raghavan committee for inquiry.

An anguished bench ordered the Himachal State Government to respond to the report and suggestions of the ASG within two days. The matter has been further postponed for its next hearing on April 23.

No matter whatever may be the response of the BJP government under Prem Kumar Dhumal, the Raghavan report acted as a revelation to many about the atrocities freshers encounter in the medical colleges across India.

The report even criticized the MCI for not taking appropriate steps to enforce implementation of anti-ragging measures in medical colleges.

In the Amann incident, MCI rather acted irresponsibly by handing over the anti-ragging guidelines to the Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, “after the demise of Amann Kachroo over the phone,” the report said.

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Ragging spirit flows on college campuses

The Indian Express, Prabhakar Rao Voruganti, 21 Apr 2009

NEW DELHI: Rampant alcoholism is responsible for the spate of ragging incidents in the country, Additional Solicitor- General Gopal Subramanium told a Supreme Court Bench comprising Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly.

Subramanium told the Bench that a Central agency would be set up in a week as a watchdog to prevent and monitor incidents of ragging in educational institutions.

The concept to set up a Central agency with its website having a helpline is the brainchild of Rajender Kachru, father of Amann Satya Kachru, a first-year MBBS student of a medical college from Himachal Pradesh who died due to ragging last month.

Rajender Kachru has treated the personal tragedy as a motivation for doing social service, Subramanium told the Bench. Appearing as an amicus curie, Gopal Subramanium said that a sub-panel of the Raghavan Committee constituted by the apex court on ragging has come out with this finding.

A press report appeared that the Rajendra Prasad Medical College at Tanda t own in Himachal Pradesh where Aman Kachru died due to ragging, would be closed down.

With that the students exhibited a rare unity and did not divulge much information on ragging saying it was only one rare incident, he told the Bench.

Another reason for the spurt in ragging incidents is that the wardens are living outside the campus and not in the hostels. This has led to unrestrained drinking in the hostels, the amicus curie said.

The sub-committee found that the approach of college managements to such incidents is casual.

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Alcoholism behind ragging: SC panel

The Tribune, 21 April 2009, R Sedhuraman, Legal Correspondent

“The demon of ragging haunted the juniors persistently in classes, college premises as they were under the continuous wicked vigil of senior students.” This summarises the findings of a Supreme Court appointed inquiry committee that went into the death of Aman Satya Kachroo, a first year student of Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, on March 8 this year.

“Alcoholism on the college campus is the main reason that generated violence leading to the serious form of ragging that was seen in the Aman episode.” This was the near unanimous response from all quarters (college administration, teachers, non-teaching employees, students, civil authorities, police authorities and the public), the committee said in its report.

The report, read out before a Bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat, has held a whole lot of people responsible for not checking ragging — right from the Chancellor (Governor), down to the level of the Vice-Chancellor, the Principal, the district administration, police and students, both seniors and juniors. Even the security guard at the hostel was found wanting in his duty.

The voluminous report, the operative part of which runs into 22 pages, has suggested appointment of full-time wardens at college hostels with appropriate communication facilities. The apex court Bench, which also included AK Ganguly, posted the next hearing for April 23.

The inquiry committee, which comprised Dr AK Agarwal, Dean, Maulana Azad Medical College, and Dr Rajendra Prasad, Principal, Ramjas College (both in Delhi), had associated Tanvir Aeijaz, Assistant Professor of Ramjas College with it.

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, who is amicus curiae in the case, apprised the court of the report, while senior counsel Altaf Ahmed and Bimal Roy Jad represented the HP government and Aman’s father, Prof Raj Kachroo.

The Governor being the Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh, to which RPGMC was affiliated, and the Vice-Chancellor were responsible for monitoring incidents of ragging in the colleges, but there was no monitoring cell at these levels.

“Had the activities of RPGMC, Tanda, or other institutions in the state been monitored at the Chancellor’s level, the scenario would have been completely different. The VC was expected to seek weekly reports from its affiliated institutions/colleges, which was also not being done.”

The attitude and role at the university and state levels towards the issue of curbing the menace of ragging was “rather casual”. Also, the role of the Medical Council of India (MCI) was rather “strange and irresponsible as is evident from the fact that the guidelines framed by them were made available to RPGMC, Tanda, after the sad demise of Aman Kachroo.”

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A Supreme Court panel, constituted to probe into the ragging and subsequent death of medical student, Amann Kachroo, has blamed rampant use of alcohol in institutions for a spurt in ragging incidents.

The panel comprising Dr. A K Agarwal, Dean, Maulana Azad Medical College, and Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Principal, Ramjas College has also indicted the administrative staff of Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC) for Kachroo’s death. The first year student succumbed to injuries inflicted on him by his seniors during a ragging session in the hostel on March 8.

The panel has further sought immediate inquiry against suspended college principal Dr Suresh Sankhyan for failing to implement Supreme Court directions against ragging. Keeping the “seemingly violent history” of RPGMC in mind, it has urged the court to post police on the campus until the college administration manages to enforce discipline.

According to the panel the college’s anti-ragging committee never met and its staff were not even sensitised to the menace of ragging. “The college administration could not properly bring about a stable and disciplined atmosphere in the college,” the report stated.

While reading out contents of the “shocking report” before a special bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat, additional solicitor general (ASG) Gopal Subramanium said there was an immediate need to introduce de-addiction measures at educational institutions.

Subramanium, who is assisting the court in the matter, suggested constitution of a special committee having eminent psychiatrists or psychologists, a documentary-maker and an educationalist, to recommend urgent and mandatory mental health measures to be implemented at all the education institutions including schools.

The ASG said the committee should also immediately examine the problem of alcoholism on RPGMC campus and suggest immediate de-addiction measures. The court was also informed about the panel’s finding against the role of Medical Council of India (MCI). The panel has raised doubts over MCI’s sincerity in curbing ragging in medical colleges and sought a probe into it.

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Amann was ragged to death by drunk seniors

Hindustan Times, Bhadra Sinha, 21 April 2009

A Supreme Court panel, constituted to probe into the ragging and subsequent death of medical student, Amann Kachroo, has blamed rampant use of alcohol in institutions for a spurt in ragging incidents.

The panel comprising Dr. A K Agarwal, Dean, Maulana Azad Medical College, and Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Principal, Ramjas College has also indicted the administrative staff of Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC) for Kachroo’s death. The first year student succumbed to injuries inflicted on him by his seniors during a ragging session in the hostel on March 8.

The panel has further sought immediate inquiry against suspended college principal Dr Suresh Sankhyan for failing to implement Supreme Court directions against ragging. Keeping the “seemingly violent history” of RPGMC in mind, it has urged the court to post police on the campus until the college administration manages to enforce discipline.

According to the panel the college’s anti-ragging committee never met and its staff were not even sensitised to the menace of ragging. “The college administration could not properly bring about a stable and disciplined atmosphere in the college,” the report stated.

While reading out contents of the “shocking report” before a special bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat, additional solicitor general (ASG) Gopal Subramanium said there was an immediate need to introduce de-addiction measures at educational institutions.

Subramanium, who is assisting the court in the matter, suggested constitution of a special committee having eminent psychiatrists or psychologists, a documentary-maker and an educationalist, to recommend urgent and mandatory mental health measures to be implemented at all the education institutions including schools.

The ASG said the committee should also immediately examine the problem of alcoholism on RPGMC campus and suggest immediate de-addiction measures. The court was also informed about the panel’s finding against the role of Medical Council of India (MCI). The panel has raised doubts over MCI’s sincerity in curbing ragging in medical colleges and sought a probe into it.