NEW DELHI, India – July 12, 2025 – In a scathing indictment that has reverberated through India's higher education system, the Delhi High Court has delivered a strong rebuke to the University Grants Commission (UGC) over its "utterly failed" anti-ragging framework. The court's stern observations come amidst a disturbing surge in ragging incidents and student deaths, raising urgent questions about the effectiveness of current measures and the safety of young minds in universities and colleges across the country.
A bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal did not
mince words, asserting that despite the Supreme Court taking note of the
menace, the UGC had "not done anything" except offer
"rhetoric." The court's concern was particularly piqued by the paltry
sum of Rs 44 lakh spent annually on anti-ragging initiatives for over 35
million students enrolled in higher education. "How do you justify this?
You have to open your coffers," the bench remarked.
A System Under Fire: The Aman Kachroo Trust Petition
The High Court was hearing a petition filed by the Aman Satya Kachroo
Trust, an organization established by the father of Aman Kachroo, a medical
student who tragically lost his life to brutal ragging in 2009. The trust
alleges that the UGC violated tender norms and effectively dismantled several
core components of the robust anti-ragging mechanism originally mandated by the
Supreme Court.
According to Professor Raj Kachroo, Aman's father and a member of the
Supreme Court-appointed anti-ragging task force, the original framework,
implemented between 2012 and 2020, included vital features such as a 24x7
helpline with trained responders, real-time case tracking, anonymous complaint
options, and parent outreach. These critical safeguards, he claims, have been
largely discontinued or rendered ineffective since 2022, when the UGC awarded
the contract for operating the anti-ragging mechanism to an "unqualified"
consortium.
"It's like giving the job of building a road to a cook,"
Kachroo lamented, asserting that the UGC's actions have compromised student
safety and dismantled a proven institutional safeguard against bullying,
discrimination, and harassment.
The Grim Reality: Rising Complaints and Suicides
The court's reprimand is amplified by alarming data presented by the
Aman Satya Kachroo Trust. The UGC's own anti-ragging helpline recorded a
staggering 1,084 complaints in 2024, the highest in nine years, indicating a
consistent upward trend since 2022. This surge in complaints coincides with the
period when the trust alleges the anti-ragging framework was weakened.
More tragically, the court highlighted the escalating issue of student
suicides. Data intended for submission to the court reveals that over 13,000
student suicides have been reported in India since 2020, surpassing even farmer
suicides in the same period. The suicide rate among students has grown twice as
fast as the overall rate. In central higher education institutions alone, 98
student suicides were reported between 2019 and 2023. Medical colleges, in
particular, are hotspots, with 122 suicides and 1,166 dropouts attributed to
ragging during the same period.
"This system has utterly failed. You have not been able to do
anything. Except every other day, there is a news report of a student
death," the court observed, expressing deep anguish.
Flaws in Implementation and Enforcement
The core issue, as pointed out by both the High Court and activists, is
not necessarily the absence of laws, but rather the glaring gaps in their
implementation and enforcement. The UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of
Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009, are mandatory for all
universities and institutions. They outline strict prohibitions, punitive
measures, and the requirement for Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs).
However, the ground reality often differs significantly. Critics argue
that:
- Underfunding: The
meager financial allocation for anti-ragging drives undermines any serious
effort to combat the issue effectively across millions of students.
- Weakened
Helpline: The national anti-ragging helpline, once a crucial anonymous
reporting mechanism, now primarily functions as a referral center, with
access to case files discontinued and anonymous complaints no longer
possible.
- Lack of
Institutional Accountability: Many colleges and
universities are accused of downplaying ragging incidents to protect their
reputation, rankings, or funding, failing to take stringent action against
perpetrators.
- Fear of
Retaliation: Victims often hesitate to report incidents due to fear of
retaliation from seniors, further harassment, or ridicule.
- Insufficient
Awareness: Despite mandates for anti-ragging posters and campaigns, awareness
about helplines and complaint portals remains low among freshers.
The Way Forward: Court's Strong Signal
The Delhi High Court has indicated it may initiate a suo motu (on
its own motion) Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to monitor steps being taken
by authorities to make institutes of higher education safer for students. It
has asked the UGC and the Aman Satya Kachroo Trust to furnish detailed data on
suicides and dropouts due to ragging in the past three years. The court also
highlighted the need for a "more robust" anti-ragging mechanism and
urged the Centre to allocate more funds.
This strong judicial intervention signals a potential turning point in
the battle against ragging. It underscores the judiciary's increasing
impatience with the apathetic approach of regulatory bodies and educational
institutions. For students and their families, who continue to suffer in
silence, the High Court's stern observations offer a glimmer of hope that
accountability will finally be enforced, and India's higher education spaces
will truly become safe havens for learning and growth, free from the shadow of
harassment and violence.
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