The National Medical Commission (NMC), on December 9, issued a notice emphasizing the urgent need for stringent anti-ragging measures in medical colleges. This follows the recent death of an 18-year-old first-year medical student at GMERS Medical College and Hospital, Dharpur, underscoring the critical importance of ensuring student safety and well-being through effective implementation of anti-ragging measures.
The GMERS Medical College and Hospital case
On November 16, 2024, an 18 year-old medical student died Saturday after he was allegedly made to stand for over three hours during ragging in Gujarat’s Patan district. The dean of the institution said that the institute has launched a probe and assured disciplinary action against senior students, if found guilty. Classmates of the deceased, Anil Methaniya, a first-year student, said, seven to eight seniors compelled a group of juniors to stand and introduce themselves.
NMC highlights of receiving numerous ragging complaints
The notice highlights that the NMC continues to receive numerous complaints of ragging involving both undergraduate and postgraduate students, including incidents of mental harassment and cases leading to suicide. Reports are received through NMC’s Anti-Ragging Cell, the UGC Anti-Ragging Helpline, and social and print media and NMC, on a regular basis, engage with the institutes to address these issues via video conferencing.
The notice further references the Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges and Institutions Regulation, 2021which outlines key clauses such as:
- Clause 5: Duties and responsibilities of institutions to prohibit and prevent ragging.
- Clause 6: Specific measures to prohibit ragging.
- Clause 7: Preventive measures to stop ragging within campuses.
- Clause 12: Role of Anti-Ragging Squads in identifying indirect evidence of ragging.
“Despite these clear regulations, lapses in compliance have been observed, including: Inadequate monitoring mechanisms, absence of Anti-Ragging Squads, failure to submit Annual Anti-Ragging Reports, insufficient steps to eradicate ragging effectively. Such non-compliance undermines the regulatory framework and poses risk to students’ safety and institutional integrity,” reads the notice.
The NMC strongly urges medical colleges and institutions to implement a robust anti-ragging mechanism that adheres to the following points:
- Constitute and activate Anti-Ragging Squads to monitor and identify ragging activities.
- Ensure widespread awareness among faculty, staff, and students about
anti-ragging policies , - Submit annual Anti-Ragging Reports in a timely manner.
- Establish a safe and conductive learning environment, free from any form of harassment.
click here to read the full notice that the National Medical Commission has issued on its official website.
