PROHIBITION OF RAGGING

Top vigilance shall be maintained to ensure that ragging of any form does not take place in the University campus. Rules, as laid down by the University Grants Commission or other relevant bodies shall be strictly followed by the University administration. Measures to create awareness among the students against ragging shall be taken earnestly. As prevention is better than cure, the following points are brought to the attention of the prospective students and their parents/guardians. The students admitted to the University shall have to submit Affidavits of their own and parents or guardians after careful perusal of the following:

1. WHAT CONSTITUTES RAGGING:

One or more of any of the following acts constitute(s) Ragging

a. any conduct by any student or students whether by words spoken or written or by an act which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness a fresher or any other student;

b. indulging in rowdy or indisciplined activities by any student or students which cause or are likely to cause annoyance, hardship, physical or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in any fresher or any other student;

c. asking any student to do any act which such student will not in the ordinary course do and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame, or torment or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of such fresher or any other student;

d. any act by a senior student that prevents, disrupts or disturbs the regular academic activity of any other student or a fresher;

e. exploiting the services of a fresher or any other student for completing the academic tasks assigned to an individual or a group of students.

f. any act of financial extortion or forceful expenditure burden put on a fresher or any other student by students;

g. any act of physical abuse including all variants of it: sexual abuse, homosexual assaults, stripping, forcing obscene and lewd acts, gestures, causing bodily harm or any other danger to health or person;

h. any act or abuse by spoken words, emails, post, public insults which would also include deriving perverted pleasure, vicarious or sadistic thrill from actively or passively participating in the discomfiture to fresher or any other student ;

i. any act that affects the mental health and self-confidence of a fresher or any other student with or without an intent to derive a sadistic pleasure or showing off power, authority or superiority by a student over any fresher or any other student.

2. ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE UNIVERSITY:

On receipt of any information concerning any incident of ragging, the Hon'ble Vice-Chancellor shall immediately determine if a case under the penal laws is made out and if so, either on his own or through an officer authorised by him in this behalf, proceed to file a First Information Report (FIR), within twenty four hours of receipt of such information, with the police and local authorities, under the appropriate penal provisions relating to one or more of the following.

i. Abetment to ragging

ii. Criminal conspiracy to rag

iii. Unlawful assembly and rioting while ragging

iv. Public nuisance created during ragging

v. Violation of decency and morals through ragging

vi. Injury to body, causing hurt or grievous hurt

vii. Wrongful restraint

viii. Wrongful confinement

ix. Use of criminal force

x. Assault as well as sexual offences or unnatural offences

xi. Extortion

xii. Criminal trespass

xiii. Offences against property

xiv. Criminal intimidation

xv. Attempts to commit any or all of the above mentioned offences against the victim(s)

xvi. Threat to commit any or all of the above mentioned offences against the victim(s)

xvii. Physical or psychological humiliation

xviii. All other offences following from the definition of "Ragging"

Provided that the Hon'ble Vice-Chancellor shall forthwith report the occurrence of the incident of ragging to the District Level Anti-Ragging Committee. Provided further that the institution shall also continue with its own enquiry and other measures without waiting for action on the part of the police / local authorities and such remedial action shall be initiated and completed immediately and in no case later than a period of 10 (ten) days of the reported occurrence of the incident of ragging.

3. ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION IN THE EVENT OF RAGGING:

The University shall issue an order to punish a student found guilty of ragging after following the procedure and in the manner prescribed hereinunder

a) The Anti-Ragging Committee of the institution shall take appropriate decision, in regard to punishment or otherwise, depending on the facts of each incident of ragging and nature and gravity of the incident of ragging.

b) The Anti-Ragging Committee may, depending on the nature and gravity of the guilt, award, to those found guilty, one or more of the following punishments.

i. Suspension from attending classes and academic privileges.

ii. Withholding / withdrawing scholarship / fellowship and other benefits.

iii. Debarring from appearing in any test / examination or other evaluation process.

iv. Withholding results.

v. Debarring from representing the institution in any regional, national or international meet, tournament, youth festival, etc.

vi. Suspension / expulsion from the hostel.

vii. Cancellation of admission.

viii. Rustication from the institution for period ranging from one to four semesters.

ix. Expulsion from the institution and consequent debarring from admission to any other institution for a specified period.

x. Fine of 10,000/- (Rupees ten thousand) only or with imprisonment upto 06 months as per the Assam Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1999.

xi. To undertake patrolling and make surprise visits to places vulnerable to incidents of ragging. Provided that where the persons committing or abetting the act of ragging are not identified, the institution shall resort to collective punishment.

c) An appeal against the order of punishment as recommended by the Anti-Ragging Committee shall lie on the Governing Body of the MSSV, Nagaon.