Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to examine whether amendments were needed in the current laws prohibiting ragging in educational institutions. The court also mandated that colleges formulate rules in accordance with the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act.

A special bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice C Jayachandran issued the directive while hearing a petition filed by the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA), which sought effective implementation of anti-ragging laws and a structured mechanism to monitor ragging incidents.

Notices issued to state departments and authorities

The court issued notices to the state government and its various departments, including Higher Education and Women and Child Development, as well as the State Police Chief, the Bar Council of Kerala, and the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. They have been asked to appear on March 19.

Additionally, the court directed the government to submit its response to the petition through an affidavit and also ordered that the University Grants Commission (UGC) be made a party to the case.

Action group and monitoring framework suggested

During the hearing, the bench proposed that the government establish an action group and provide written assurances regarding the responsibilities of state and district-level anti-ragging committees. It also asked the government to specify the timeframe required to constitute such committees if they were not already in place.

The High Court had constituted the special bench on Tuesday to hear the petition, in which KeLSA argued that ragging remained "a deeply entrenched social menace" in educational institutions, inflicting "severe psychological, emotional, and even physical harm" on students.

KeLSA calls for stricter monitoring

KeLSA pointed to recent incidents of ragging at a government nursing college in Kottayam, a government college in Karyavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, and a private institute in Kozhikode. It contended that such incidents were a result of inadequate enforcement of existing anti-ragging laws.

To address the issue, KeLSA has proposed the creation of state-level and district-level monitoring committees. These bodies would oversee the implementation of anti-ragging guidelines, regulations, and judicial directives, ensuring compliance by educational institutions.

With PTI inputs