{"id":352306,"date":"2025-07-03T17:30:35","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T12:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=352306"},"modified":"2025-07-07T11:10:41","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T05:40:41","slug":"kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018UGC Anti Ragging Regulations not enough to curb ragging in its entirety\u2019 Kerala HC urges State to enact stringent law with severe punishment"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;\">\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Kerala High Court:<\/span> In two writ petitions arising from the tragic death of a 21-year-old student, who had been subjected to physical abuse and a public trial, amounting to ragging, the Single Judge Bench of D.K. Singh, J. expressed grave concern over the ineffectiveness of the UGC Anti-ragging Regulations. Despite being stringent, these regulations failed to deter unruly student behavior. The Court, therefore, recommended that the State enact a more stringent law, prescribing severe punishments for ragging activities in educational institutions. This law would be aimed at curbing the menace of ragging and preventing further loss of life caused by the rowdy conduct of undisciplined students. The State was urged to ensure that the guilty parties faced appropriate punishment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court also directed that the University must proceed with departmental proceedings against the Dean and the Assistant warden (petitioners) and complete them expeditiously, ideally within three months.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Additionally, the Court emphasised the necessity for the University to take appropriate action against the students responsible for the death of the deceased, ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for the tragic incident.<\/p>\n<h3>Background<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Petitioner 2, the Dean of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (\u2018KVASU\u2019), also served as the Warden of the Undergraduate Men\u2019s Hostel. Petitioner 1 was the Assistant Warden of the same hostel. On 18-02-2024, a second-year BVSc and AH student, aged around 21, was found hanging in the bathroom of the UG Men\u2019s Hostel.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Following the incident, a complaint, along with information from students via the UGC Anti-ragging helpline, was forwarded to the Dean, and a copy was sent to the Vice Chancellor. An anti-ragging squad investigated and confirmed that the deceased student had been subjected to physical abuse and a public trial, which amounted to ragging. The report held both the Dean and the Assistant Warden responsible for administrative lapses and failure to enforce anti-ragging rules.<\/p>\n<h3>Initial Actions and Suspension:<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">As a result, the Vice Chancellor sought explanations from the petitioners for their failure to maintain discipline among hostel inmates. Upon receiving unsatisfactory responses from the petitioners, the Vice Chancellor placed them under suspension on 05-03-2024. An Enquiry Memo issued on 02-04-2024 accused the petitioners of violating hostel rules and failing to act on the misconduct of students. The petitioners were given fifteen days to submit a response, which they did.<\/p>\n<h3>Three-member Inquiry Committee and Findings:<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">A three-member Inquiry Committee was constituted to investigate the administrative lapses. The Committee\u2019s report held the petitioners jointly responsible for failing to provide a safe campus environment and adequately discharge their duties. On 28-03-2024, the Chancellor, after reviewing the situation and the report, decided to appoint Justice A. Hariprasad (former Judge of the Kerala High Court) to lead a Commission of Inquiry. This inquiry aimed to investigate the administrative failures and the authorities&#8217; inability to prevent ragging, along with other criminal activities on the university campus.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Commission\u2019s report was critical of the Vice Chancellor, noting that prior incidents of ragging, which occurred during his tenure, went unnoticed and unpunished, despite some faculty members being aware of them. The report also highlighted the lack of coordination between the Vice Chancellor, the Dean, and the teaching staff.<\/p>\n<h3>Petitioner\u2019s Legal Action:<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Petitioner 1 filed for a writ of prohibition, seeking to prevent the respondents from acting on the Commission of Inquiry report and the Three-member Inquiry Report. Additionally, Petitioner 1 sought to quash the communication dated 12-08-2024, which directed necessary action under Section <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0001626167\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">9(7)(iii)<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0002908363\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Act, 2010<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Further Developments:<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">On 18-09-2024, the Registrar informed the petitioners about the formation of a Commission of Inquiry by the Governor. Despite earlier decisions, the Board of Management held a Special Meeting on 12-09-2024 and decided to withdraw its previous stance, proceeding according to the Chancellor&#8217;s instructions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Vice Chancellor subsequently directed that the matter be placed before the Management Council for final consideration on 24-09-2024. On 27-09-2024, the Office of the Chancellor communicated to the Vice Chancellor that the decision regarding the petitioners\u2019 reinstatement and transfer be held in abeyance until further orders. The Vice Chancellor was instructed to provide an updated report on the matter.<\/p>\n<h3>Analysis<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court emphasised that the menace of ragging in educational institutions persists despite the Supreme Court&#8217;s repeated directives in <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Vishwa Jagriti Mission<\/span> v. <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Central Government<\/span>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/WLTd5Me8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">(2001) 6 SCC 577<\/a>. In this landmark judgment, the Supreme Court defined ragging as any disorderly conduct, whether verbal or written, or by an act that causes rudeness, teasing, or mistreatment of another student. Ragging includes rowdy or indisciplined activities that lead or are likely to lead to annoyance, hardship, psychological harm, or the instillation of fear or apprehension in a fresher or junior student. Additionally, ragging can involve compelling a student to perform acts or tasks they would not ordinarily do, thereby inducing feelings of shame or embarrassment, which adversely impact the physical or psychological well-being of the fresher or junior student.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court expressed its dismay that, despite the Supreme Court&#8217;s clear concern in <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Vishwa Jagriti Mission<\/span> (supra), very little had been done to prevent the persistent issue of ragging in educational institutions. To address this, the Supreme Court decided to take more concrete action by constituting a Committee headed by R.K. Raghavan, the former Director of the CBI. The Committee was tasked with making recommendations on how existing laws and provisions in various States could be more effectively implemented to eliminate the menace of ragging.<\/p>\n<h3>Regulations of the University Grants Commission on curbing the menace of Ragging<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court noted that the University Grants Commission (\u2018UGC\u2019) had framed comprehensive Regulations aimed at curbing the menace of ragging in higher educational institutions. These regulations laid down clear guidelines for punishing students involved in ragging activities, with specific consequences for institutions that fail to take effective measures to prevent ragging.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Clause 9 of the UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009 outlines the responsibilities of educational institutions. It specifies that the Head of the Institution must take prompt and appropriate action against individuals whose dereliction of duty contributes to or leads to incidents of ragging.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court highlighted that, despite the recommendations made by the Raghavan Committee Report, the Supreme Court\u2019s directions, and the comprehensive UGC Regulations, the menace of ragging remains unchecked. This persistent issue culminated in the tragic death of a young, promising student, who lost his life at the tender age of 21, in what could have been an avoidable incident.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court expressed its dismay that, despite the findings of the Three-member Inquiry Committee, which held the petitioners guilty of dereliction of their duties, no effective action had been taken to date. The inaction was largely due to procedural or technicalities, which prevented meaningful accountability.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court was particularly shocked by the insensitivity of the University authorities in addressing the findings of the Three-member Committee report. Despite the serious lapses attributed to the petitioners and the Vice Chancellor (who was also found guilty in the Commission\u2019s report), no appropriate steps had been taken to hold them accountable. This lack of decisive action left the Court in a state of disbelief, underlining the systemic failure to act upon established findings and prevent such tragic occurrences in the future.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court noted that the Chancellor\u2019s powers are clearly defined under Section <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0001626167\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">9<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0002908363\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Act, 2010<\/a>. According to this provision, the Chancellor holds significant authority within the University. The Chancellor is empowered to take action against the Vice Chancellor and can initiate investigations into any matter pertaining to the University. As the highest authority of the University, the Chancellor possesses overarching powers over all other authorities and bodies within the institution.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court observed that <span style=\"font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;\">the University\u2019s reliance on the letter written by the Chancellor on 12-08-2024, as a reason for not proceeding with disciplinary action against the petitioners, appeared to be a mere ruse to cover up the petitioners&#8217; misdeeds, dereliction of duty, and inaction<\/span>. These failures directly contributed to the tragic loss of a young, promising student\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court clarified that the letter dated 12-08-2024 did not, in any way, restrain the University from continuing disciplinary proceedings against the petitioners. Instead, it simply called for a report and a decision from the Board of Management, which the Board is legally obligated to submit to the Chancellor. Therefore, the Court emphasised that the University had no legitimate reason to halt the proceedings and was duty-bound to take appropriate action based on the findings of the inquiry and its own internal obligations.<\/p>\n<h3>Decision<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court concluded that the University\u2019s decision to withhold disciplinary proceedings against the petitioners, who had been <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">prima facie<\/span> found guilty by both the Three-member Committee and the Commission of Inquiry, was incorrect, untenable, and contrary to the provisions of the University Act and its Statutes. The Court held that the claim of the highest authority intervening was baseless and did not justify halting the proceedings.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Board of Management had also misinterpreted the letter dated 24-09-2024 from the Office of the Vice Chancellor. The interpretation placed on the powers of the Chancellor was found to be inconsistent with the express provisions of the University Act. The Board of Management was obligated to implement the Chancellor\u2019s directions, yet the University\u2019s decision to reinstate and transfer the petitioners, despite their guilt, was deemed unjustified, insensitive, and contrary to the Chancellor\u2019s directives.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">In light of this, the Court directed that the University proceed with the departmental proceedings against the petitioners and finalize them expeditiously, preferably within three months. The petitioners were instructed to fully cooperate in these proceedings.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Further, the Court stressed the need for the University to take appropriate action against the students responsible for the tragic death of the deceased, ensuring accountability for the incident.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court also expressed concern that, while the UGC Anti-ragging Regulations were stringent, they had not been effective in deterring unruly student behavior. The Court recommended that the State enact a more stringent law with severe punishments for ragging activities in educational institutions. This law would aim to curb the menace and prevent further loss of life due to the rowdy behavior of undisciplined students. The State was urged to ensure that the guilty parties face appropriate punishment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Finally, with these directions, the writ petitions were disposed of, and all interlocutory applications related to interim matters were closed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">[<span style=\"font-weight: bold; color: #632423;\">DR. Kanthanathan R v. State of Kerala, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/zZirA7et\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2025 SCC OnLine Ker 4389<\/a>. Decided on 25-06-2025<\/span>]<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Advocates who appeared in this case :<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">For Petitioners:<\/span> SRI.PRAVEEN.H. SHRI.G.HARIHARAN SMT.K.S.SMITHA SHRI.AMAL DEV D SMT.SNEHA M.S. SHRI.ABHIJITH E.R., BY ADV SHRI.P.C. SASIDHARAN<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">For Respondents:<\/span> SR GP PREMCHAN R NAIR SRI.MANU GOVIND SHRI.S.PRASANTH, SC, CHANCELLOR OF UNIVERSITIES OF KERALA SMT.NISHA GEORGE SHRI.P.SREEKUMAR (SR.) SRI.GEORGE POONTHOTTAM (SR.) SMT.KAVYA VARMA M. M.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">&#8220;Despite the recommendations of the Raghavan Committee Report, the Supreme Court directions, and the UGC Regulations, the menace of ragging has not been able to be curbed. That resulted in the unfortunate incident wherein a young, promising student lost his life at the prime of his youth, 21 years.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67512,"featured_media":352307,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[3634,51025,67424,84674,84673,22084,84676,84672,84675,84671],"class_list":["post-352306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-casebriefs","category-highcourts","tag-educational_institutions","tag-kerala-hc","tag-ragging","tag-ragging-prevention","tag-severe-punishment","tag-state-law","tag-stringent-anti-ragging-law","tag-stringent-law","tag-student-safety","tag-ugc-anti-ragging-regulations"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ker HCUrges State to Enact Stringent anti ragging Law | SCC Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Kerala High Court calls for a stringent anti ragging law to combat ragging in educational institutions, stating that current UGC Regulations are not enough.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018UGC Anti Ragging Regulations not enough to curb ragging in its entirety\u2019 Kerala HC urges State to enact stringent law with severe punishment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kerala High Court calls for a stringent anti ragging law to combat ragging in educational institutions, stating that current UGC Regulations are not enough.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SCC Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/scc.online\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-03T12:00:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-07T05:40:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/anti-ragging-law.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"886\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"590\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Apoorva\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"\u2018UGC Anti Ragging Regulations not enough to curb ragging in its entirety\u2019 Kerala HC urges State to enact stringent law with severe punishment\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Apoorva\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/03\\\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/03\\\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Apoorva\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/288d814d0864b57168e08daa1940a1c9\"},\"headline\":\"\u2018UGC Anti Ragging Regulations not enough to curb ragging in its entirety\u2019 Kerala HC urges State to enact stringent law with severe punishment\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-03T12:00:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-07T05:40:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/03\\\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1858,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/03\\\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/anti-ragging-law.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"educational institutions\",\"Kerala HC\",\"Ragging\",\"ragging prevention\",\"severe punishment\",\"State Law\",\"stringent anti ragging law\",\"stringent law\",\"student safety\",\"UGC Anti-Ragging Regulations\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Case Briefs\",\"High Courts\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/03\\\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/03\\\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/03\\\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\\\/\",\"name\":\"Ker HCUrges State to Enact Stringent anti ragging Law | SCC Times\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/03\\\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/03\\\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/anti-ragging-law.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-03T12:00:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-07T05:40:41+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/288d814d0864b57168e08daa1940a1c9\"},\"description\":\"Kerala High Court calls for a stringent anti ragging law to combat ragging in educational institutions, stating that current UGC Regulations are not enough.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/03\\\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/03\\\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/03\\\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/anti-ragging-law.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/anti-ragging-law.webp\",\"width\":886,\"height\":590,\"caption\":\"anti ragging law\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/03\\\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u2018UGC Anti Ragging Regulations not enough to curb ragging in its entirety\u2019 Kerala HC urges State to enact stringent law with severe punishment\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"SCC Times\",\"description\":\"Bringing you the Best Analytical Legal News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/288d814d0864b57168e08daa1940a1c9\",\"name\":\"Apoorva\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/549edb3ed2c7046a0c504583cf71db32c50251c1260a6331b2cc2973e80b0e91?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/549edb3ed2c7046a0c504583cf71db32c50251c1260a6331b2cc2973e80b0e91?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/549edb3ed2c7046a0c504583cf71db32c50251c1260a6331b2cc2973e80b0e91?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Apoorva\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.scconline.com\\\/blog\\\/post\\\/author\\\/scc-editor\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ker HCUrges State to Enact Stringent anti ragging Law | SCC Times","description":"Kerala High Court calls for a stringent anti ragging law to combat ragging in educational institutions, stating that current UGC Regulations are not enough.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u2018UGC Anti Ragging Regulations not enough to curb ragging in its entirety\u2019 Kerala HC urges State to enact stringent law with severe punishment","og_description":"Kerala High Court calls for a stringent anti ragging law to combat ragging in educational institutions, stating that current UGC Regulations are not enough.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/","og_site_name":"SCC Times","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/scc.online\/","article_published_time":"2025-07-03T12:00:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-07T05:40:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":886,"height":590,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/anti-ragging-law.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Apoorva","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"\u2018UGC Anti Ragging Regulations not enough to curb ragging in its entirety\u2019 Kerala HC urges State to enact stringent law with severe punishment","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Apoorva","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/"},"author":{"name":"Apoorva","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/288d814d0864b57168e08daa1940a1c9"},"headline":"\u2018UGC Anti Ragging Regulations not enough to curb ragging in its entirety\u2019 Kerala HC urges State to enact stringent law with severe punishment","datePublished":"2025-07-03T12:00:35+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-07T05:40:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/"},"wordCount":1858,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/anti-ragging-law.webp","keywords":["educational institutions","Kerala HC","Ragging","ragging prevention","severe punishment","State Law","stringent anti ragging law","stringent law","student safety","UGC Anti-Ragging Regulations"],"articleSection":["Case Briefs","High Courts"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/","name":"Ker HCUrges State to Enact Stringent anti ragging Law | SCC Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/anti-ragging-law.webp","datePublished":"2025-07-03T12:00:35+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-07T05:40:41+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/288d814d0864b57168e08daa1940a1c9"},"description":"Kerala High Court calls for a stringent anti ragging law to combat ragging in educational institutions, stating that current UGC Regulations are not enough.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/anti-ragging-law.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/anti-ragging-law.webp","width":886,"height":590,"caption":"anti ragging law"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/07\/03\/kerala-hc-calls-for-stringent-anti-ragging-law\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u2018UGC Anti Ragging Regulations not enough to curb ragging in its entirety\u2019 Kerala HC urges State to enact stringent law with severe punishment"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/","name":"SCC Times","description":"Bringing you the Best Analytical Legal News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/288d814d0864b57168e08daa1940a1c9","name":"Apoorva","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/549edb3ed2c7046a0c504583cf71db32c50251c1260a6331b2cc2973e80b0e91?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/549edb3ed2c7046a0c504583cf71db32c50251c1260a6331b2cc2973e80b0e91?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/549edb3ed2c7046a0c504583cf71db32c50251c1260a6331b2cc2973e80b0e91?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Apoorva"},"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/author\/scc-editor\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/anti-ragging-law.webp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":54541,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2016\/07\/04\/curbing-the-menace-of-ragging-in-higher-educational-institutions-third-amendment-regulations-2016\/","url_meta":{"origin":352306,"position":0},"title":"Curbing the menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions (third amendment), Regulations, 2016","author":"Sucheta","date":"July 4, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"In a notification issued dated 29th June, 2016, the University Grants Commission in exercise of powers conferred under clause (g) of sub-section (1) of section 26 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, makes the following Regulations namely \u201cCurbing the menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions (third amendment), Regulations,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Legislation Updates&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Legislation Updates","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/legislationupdates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/ugc.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/ugc.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/ugc.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/ugc.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/ugc.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":355702,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/08\/05\/education-law-july-2025-roundup-scc-times\/","url_meta":{"origin":352306,"position":1},"title":"Education Law July 2025 Roundup: Key Developments you need to know!","author":"Sonali Ahuja","date":"August 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Covering all the important Education Law cases across various High Courts and the Supreme Court, this roundup provides a quick summary of cases, links to other roundups, latest legal updates in criminal law and a few top stories of the month.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Legal RoundUp&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Legal RoundUp","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/columns-for-roundup\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Education Law July 2025","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Education-Law-July-2025.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Education-Law-July-2025.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Education-Law-July-2025.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Education-Law-July-2025.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":257710,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2021\/11\/25\/national-medical-commission-prevention-and-prohibition-of-ragging-in-medical-colleges-and-institutions-regulations-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":352306,"position":2},"title":"National Medical Commission (Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges and Institutions) Regulations, 2021","author":"Prachi Bhardwaj","date":"November 25, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The National Medical Commission has notified the National Medical Commission (Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges and Institutions) Regulations, 2021 vide notification dated 18th November, 2021. \u00a0 Key highlights: Every medical college or institution shall comply with the anti-ragging directions and submit a compliance report to the Commission\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Legislation Updates&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Legislation Updates","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/legislationupdates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":344815,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/04\/01\/kerala-high-court-working-group-action-plan-prohibition-ragging-act\/","url_meta":{"origin":352306,"position":3},"title":"Kerala High Court directs Working Group to convene and formulate action plan to address gaps in Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act","author":"Apoorva","date":"April 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"s per Clause 6 of the Government Order, a representative must be nominated by the State Police Chief. Given the gravity of the issue, the Court specified that the nominee should be an officer of no lower rank than Inspector General of Police.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kerala High Court","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Kerala-High-Court-1.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Kerala-High-Court-1.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Kerala-High-Court-1.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Kerala-High-Court-1.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":356868,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/08\/18\/lucknow-university-observed-anti-ragging-week\/","url_meta":{"origin":352306,"position":4},"title":"Lucknow University observes Anti-Ragging Week in light of UGC notice | August 12th to 18th","author":"Editor","date":"August 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Series of awareness activities, interactive sessions, and sensitisation programmes were conducted throughout the week seeking to strengthen a culture of trust, safety, and equality amongst students.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Events\/Webinars&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Events\/Webinars","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/news\/events-and-webinars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Anti-ragging Week","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Anti-ragging-Week.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Anti-ragging-Week.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Anti-ragging-Week.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Anti-ragging-Week.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":319806,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/04\/09\/kerala-high-court-closes-veterinary-students-death-case-investigation-cbi\/","url_meta":{"origin":352306,"position":5},"title":"CBI takes over probe and registers FIR; Kerala High Court closes veterinary student&#8217;s death case","author":"Editor","date":"April 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"A second-year student studying in College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Pookode, Wayanad was found hanging in the hostel due to alleged torture and ragging.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Hot Off The Press&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Hot Off The Press","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/news\/hot_off_the_press\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kerala High Court","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Kerala-High-Court-1.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Kerala-High-Court-1.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Kerala-High-Court-1.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Kerala-High-Court-1.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67512"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=352306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352306\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/352307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=352306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=352306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=352306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}