14-04-2009 : Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi
The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil has expressed grave concern over the rising incidents of ragging in certain institutions of higher education across the country.
The President has urged students, especially senior students in institutes of higher learning to be more responsible in their dealings with their juniors. She believes senior students have a greater responsibility to make their juniors feel at home in their new environment. Smt. Patil has observed that unfortunately there were several instances where the practice of ragging has escalated to the level of torture amounting to crime. Such irresponsible behaviour would cause serious apprehensions in the minds of new entrants and their parents. Universities and colleges are centres of learning and for developing mutual respect, friendship and understanding. Their sanctity cannot be vitiated year after year at the start of an academic season by those who indulge in mindless ragging. The President has called upon the State Governments, University and College authorities to be vigilant and strict towards offenders and to take special efforts to prevent students from resorting to such acts of violence in the campuses of educational institutions. The State Governments may also consider appropriate legislation to tackle this menace in the college and University premises in order to provide credible deterrence.
The release issued at 1130 hrs
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