If you rag someone and he/she then tries to commit suicide, you can be punished for both ragging and for abetment to suicide. While the punishment for ragging varies from administrative punishments (for example, suspension) to a criminal complaint, the punishment for abetment to suicide is jail time of up to 10 years and a fine(( Section 306, the Indian Penal Code, 1860.)).
If there is no Anti-Ragging Squad or other authorities, or if such authorities are not helping you, you can take the following actions to stop ragging:
National Anti-Ragging Helpline
The University Grants Commission has set up a helpline number and email address that you can reach out to, in case you are being ragged. The helpline number is 1800 – 180 – 5522, and the email address is helpline@antiragging.in.
Online Complaint
The University Grants Commission has set up a web portal where you can lodge an online complaint. To lodge a complaint, go here, where you will be asked to give certain details, like your name, the college, the details of the incident, etc. Try to give as much detail as you can. You can also track your complaint here by clicking on “Track Complaint”.
Police
In case of a serious case of ragging, you can complain to the police, and file an FIR against the student(s) responsible for ragging you. In such a case, the police will investigate the matter, and take required steps to punish the students responsible for ragging.
Yes, you can complain on your friend’s behalf if your friend is being ragged. Sometimes, the person who is being ragged cannot complain out of fear or other reasons, and in such a case, another person may complain on his/her behalf. The law allows anyone to file a ragging complaint on behalf of a student and the person doing so will not get in trouble for merely reporting an incident of ragging(( Section 6.2(g), the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.))
Yes, ragging for any reason is a crime. In 2001, the Supreme Court of India in the case of Vishwa Jagriti Mission vs. The Central Govt held that ragging is a crime in India. The intent behind ragging does not matter; even if it is done for fun, or to derive pleasure, to show off authority or superiority – the very act of ragging is a crime under Indian law.
Yes, women can be punished for indulging in ragging. For example, if a female senior rags a junior, she can be punished for ragging. Any one who rags, regardless of gender, can be punished for ragging.
If you were sexually harassed while being ragged, you should complain to the college/University authorities, or the police. For example, if your senior not only rags you but sexually harasses you or touches you inappropriately, then you can file a complaint with the police. Read more to understand how the law protects you from sexual harassment.
Yes, helping someone rag, known as abetment to ragging(( Section 7, the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.)), will get you in trouble, and you might be punished. For example, if your friend Ram was ragging a junior Shyam, and you helped him by throwing away Shyam’s notebooks, it will be considered as abetment to ragging.
Yes, a fresher student can get in trouble for ragging. For example, if a fresher threatens to beat another student up unless the student sings a song in front of the class, it is ragging.
A fresher can be punished just as severely as senior students. The college may choose to punish you through administrative means, such as suspension or expulsion. However, if a case can be made out against you under the Indian Penal Code, 1860, a police complaint will be filed against you, and you will be punished more severely.
When any information about an incident of ragging is brought to the notice of the Head of a college/university, whether by the Anti-Ragging Squad or otherwise, he must take the following steps(( Section 7, the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.)):
If your case is not resolved by the Head of the institution, you can appeal against any decision taken by him or any other college authority.
Yes, even if you rag someone without causing any physical injury, that is also considered ragging. Even actions which cause psychological harm would be considered to be ragging(( Section 2, the Curbing the menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions (third amendment), Regulations, 2016.)). For example, if you harass a student by calling him names or making derogatory remarks, it is considered as ragging, even if no physical violence was involved.
Yes, the law protects all students, regardless of gender or sexuality, from ragging(( Section 2, the Curbing the menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions (third amendment), Regulations, 2016.)). Thus, transgender students are also protected from ragging. If you are a transgender person and are facing ragging, or any form of violence, you should report it to the authorities.
If you are being blackmailed against filing a complaint for ragging, you can ask a friend or parent to file a complaint on your behalf. The law allows anyone to file a ragging complaint on behalf of a student and the person doing so will not get in trouble for merely reporting an incident of ragging(( Section 6.2(g), the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.)) Both ragging and blackmailing are crimes in India, and the person harassing you in this manner is liable for punishment for both ragging and blackmailing. For blackmailing, the punishment depends on the act, such as: – If someone intentionally makes you scared of getting hurt to get you to give any object of value, it is an offence(( Section 383, the Indian Penal Code, 1860.)) which is punishable with jail time up to 3 years and/or a fine(( Section 384, the Indian Penal Code, 1860.)).
If someone threatens to hurt you, your reputation or property, or that of any other person you are interested in (such as, a family member or friend), to get you to do something or make you feel alarmed, it is an offence(( Section 503, the Indian Penal Code, 1860.)) punishable with at least jail time of up to 2 years and/or a fine(( Section 506, the Indian Penal Code, 1860.)). The punishment may be more severe in other cases.
If a college does not prevent ragging, certain measures can be taken against it. This can be done either by the University with which the college is affiliated or the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Measures by the University
If a college which is affiliated with a University does not take measures to prevent ragging, the University can take the following actions(( Section 9.2, the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.)):
Measures by the University Grant Commission
The UGC (University Grant Commission) can take the following steps against any college/university which is not adopting measures to prevent ragging(( Section 9.4, the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.)):
Yes, a minor can also be punished for ragging. For example, if a 17 year old threatens to beat someone up unless he/she sings a song in front of the class, it is ragging.
If you rag anyone as a minor, you may be subjected to administrative punishment as mentioned here, such as expulsion from the college.
In case of a serious incident, you may be punished with a more severe penalty, under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which is the law(( The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.)) that regulates the punishment of minors in case of an offence. Generally, under this law, the Juvenile Justice Board determines how a minor found guilty of an offence will be punished and rehabilitated.
If you were ragged and reported the incident to a teacher, or any member of the staff, but the teacher did not take any further action, he or she can be(( Section 9.3, the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.)) subjected to disciplinary action that is prescribed by your college. You must inform them about the ragging incident and the lack of action by the teacher to the Anti-Ragging Squad or the Head of the college, like the Director. If the Head of the college is the one who has not taken any action when an incident of bullying has been reported to them, they can also be subjected to disciplinary action, as well as punishment under the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
Online abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the internet, whether it’s over chat, posting on message boards and forums, through social networks, playing online games or using mobile phones.
Online abuse happens on various platforms on the internet such as social media, chat, forums, etc. When faced with online abuse, your first step should be to see what the anti-abuse policy of the platform is, and what steps the platform recommends for you to stop it. We have compiled a list of steps you can take for responding to abuse (blocking and reporting) on Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, Reddit, YouTube, WhatsApp, and text messages on your phone.
If the administrators of the platform are not being responsive or you are unhappy with the results, you can also file a criminal complaint at the local police station or cyber investigation cell. It is not necessary for you to get recourse only after approaching the platform administrators. You can directly approach the police station or cyber cell to file a complaint. When you go to the police station to file a first information report (FIR), the police have to note down the information you provide. Different provisions in law1 make online abuse and online harassment a crime. The victims of such crimes can be male or female.
Ragging is(( Section 2, the Curbing the menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions (third amendment), Regulations, 2016.)) any physical, verbal or mental abuse committed by one student against another student belonging to an educational institute. The seniority of the student who rags or is ragged does not matter.
Ragging is a crime and it can happen for any reason. Ragging has been known to happen on the basis of appearance or colour of the skin, race, religion, caste, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, appearance, nationality, regional origins, spoken language, place of birth, place of residence or economic background. It can take many different forms. For example, bullying a student into doing assignments or excluding a student from campus activities. The law punishes different forms of ragging against students including psychological harm, physical abuse, etc. Read more here.
[Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on physical violence which some readers may find disturbing.]
An acid attack is the crime of hurting a person by throwing acid on them, administering acid(( Compensation Scheme for Women Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault/other Crimes 2018, National Legal Services Authority, accessed at https://wcd.nic.in/sites/default/files/Final%20VC%20Sheme_0.pdf.)) to that person or doing anything with acid with the intention or knowledge that it would harm the person. An acid attack may result in injuries to a person, in any part of the body, including(( The Scheme for Relief and Rehabilitation of Offences (by Acids) on Women and Children, 2009 National Commission for Women, accessed at http://ncwapps.nic.in/PDFFiles/Scheme_ACID_Attack.pdf.)):
Even though the main definition of acid attack is given in the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Law Commission of India has also defined an acid attack, as a form of violence against women where the perpetrator splashes a person or object with acid in order to deface or kill them.(( Proposal for the Inclusion of Acid Attacks as Specific Offences in the Indian Penal Code and a Law for Compensation for Victims of Crime, Law Commission of India No 226, 2008, accessed at https://lawcommissionofindia.nic.in/reports/report226.pdf.))
An acid attack can happen anywhere. Incidents of acid attack have frequently taken place at home, on the streets and even at work places.
If you are a victim of online abuse or know someone being victimised, you must report it to the authorities. You can report online abuse in any of the following ways:
When you go to the police station to complain about a case of online abuse that you have faced, they will ask you to file an FIR. You should make sure you give all the information you know about the incident and abuse that you have faced.
Cyber Cells are present in every state and some police stations may have a unit designated to work on cyber crimes. These cells or units will look into and help you out in cases of online violence such as online stalking, hacking, etc. In many states, you can file a complaint online through the website of the cyber cell. For instance, for Delhi, you can file an online complaint here.
If you want to file a complaint, you will have to either:
You can also lodge a complaint by using the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Online Crime Reporting Portal. You may be redirected to a specific State Government’s website to register a complaint.
Register a complaint in the section “Services for Citizen”, and click on “Report a Cyber Crime ”. Here, you can provide information about the offender, the victim, and the incident along with any supporting evidence, such as screenshots. You can report anonymously or with identification, and you can track your complaint as well.
You can also directly file a complaint on the Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Complaints can also be made anonymously. You can complain against various cybercrimes by selecting the option ‘Report Cyber Crime Related to Women/Child’ or ‘Report Other Cyber Crime’. You must login and create an account and select “Report and Track” if you wish to track your complaint.
Many actions taken by students are considered to be ragging under the law. Some of the acts considered as ragging are:(( Section 3, the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.))
Psychological Harm
Causing psychological harm to a student is considered to be ragging under the law. This may include:
Disturbing Academic Activity
Ragging can take the form of disturbing a student’s academics. If any student prevents, disrupts or disturbs the regular academic activity of another student, it is ragging. For example, a senior student harassing a junior student into not attending classes.
Using or Exploiting a Student
Ragging can take the form of exploitation of another student. This includes:
Physical Abuse
Ragging can take the form of physical abuse and violence. Ragging includes:
Discriminating against Another Student
Ragging can take the form of discrimination and prejudice against another student. Any abuse based on the colour of your skin, race, religion, caste, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, appearance, nationality, regional origins, linguistic identity, place of birth, place of residence or economic background, is considered as ragging. For example, if a student is constantly teased and called names based on her regional origins, or is ridiculed because she belongs to a lower socioeconomic status than other students, it can be considered as ragging.
The intent behind ragging does not matter. For example, to derive pleasure, for fun, to show off authority or superiority – the very act of ragging is a crime under Indian law.
If you are being ragged, you can complain to college authorities or the police.
[Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on physical violence which some readers may find disturbing.]
The law on acid attack protects all persons, regardless of their gender. Further, there are no specifications in the law in terms of the age of the survivor. Therefore, an acid attack, whether carried out on a person of any age is punishable under the law.(( Sections 326A and 326B, Indian Penal Code, 1860.)) The law also protects foreigners who are survivors of acid attack if it happens in India.(( Section 2, Indian Penal Code, 1860.))
To be safe and free from abuse on the online platforms that we use in our day-to-day lives, you can follow the following tips based on the kind of user you are and the use of the online platform:
To prevent ragging, every college and university must constitute the following authorities:(( Section 6.3, the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.))
It is compulsory for every college to constitute an Anti-Ragging Committee, which is composed of the following members:(( Section 6.3 (a), the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.))
However, the duties of the Anti Ragging Committee are to:(( Section 6.3 (b), the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.))
It is compulsory for every college to constitute an Anti Ragging Squad, which is(( Section 6.3 (c), the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.)) nominated by the head of the college, such as the Principal or the Dean. The squad has representatives from different members of the campus community, like teachers, student volunteers, etc. However, outside representatives like the police or media are not a part of this authority.
The duties of the Anti Ragging Squad are to:(( Section 6.3 (d)(e), the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.))
It is compulsory for every college to(( Section 6.3 (f), the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.)) constitute a Mentoring Cell at the end of every academic year. It is composed of students who have volunteered to be mentors for the new students joining the college or institution.
The duties of the Mentoring Cell are to provide support and mentor-ship to the freshers or new students. However, please note that as per law, one mentor can have six freshers, and each mentor of a more senior level will have six mentors under his guidance. For example, if Ram is a 2nd-year student who has six freshers to be mentored and Shyam is a 3rd-year student, Shyam will mentor Ram and five other such mentors.
It is compulsory for every University to constitute a Monitoring Cell on Ragging. Additionally, the duties of the Monitoring Cell on Ragging are to:(( Section 6.3 (g)(h), the UGC Regulations On Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009.))
Any of the following crimes committed against members of SC/ST are referred to as atrocities in law. The punishment for these acts is imprisonment between 6 months and 5 years, along with a fine.
[Trigger Warning: The following content contains information on physical violence which some readers may find disturbing.]
Survivors of acid attacks have the following rights under the law:
Right to Seek Medical Treatment
A survivor of an acid attack has the right to seek medical treatment in both government and private hospitals. The Supreme Court issued guidelines for acid attack crimes where they said that:
The court has placed the responsibility for the treatment and rehabilitation of survivors on the state government.(( Parivartan Kendra v. Union of India and others, (2016) 3 SCC 571 [29].)) Additionally, it has expected states and union territories to take action against hospitals that refuse to treat acid attack survivors.(( Laxmi v. Union of India and Others, (2016) 3 SCC 669, order dated 10/4/2015 [34], [35].))
Right to File a Complaint
Acid attack survivors also have the right to file a complaint against the perpetrator. The complaint can also be filed by the survivor’s relative, friend or acquaintance, any person who has witnessed the crime, or any person who comes to know of the crime. To see a list of other persons who can file the complaint, see here.
| The complaint filed is known as a First Information Report (“FIR”). The FIR is a document that contains the information that a police officer fills out when she gets information on the commission of a cognizable offence. To learn how to file an FIR, you can read our explainer on ‘How to file an FIR’.
An FIR can be filed at any police station, regardless of whether it has jurisdiction over the commission of the crime or not. This information will then be transferred to a police station with the requisite jurisdiction. This concept is generally known as a zero FIR. To understand more about zero FIRs, you can read our explainer on ‘Where can FIR be Filed’. |
Right to Compensation
Acid attack survivors have the right to seek compensation from the state government. The Victims Compensation Scheme(( Compensation Scheme for Women Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault/other Crimes 2018, National Legal Services Authority, accessed at https://wcd.nic.in/sites/default/files/Final%20VC%20Sheme_0.pdf.)) that was drafted by the National Legal Services Authority, was approved by the Supreme Court in 2018. It provides for mandatory compensation for survivors of acid attacks as well as sexual crimes including sexual assault, murder, kidnapping etc. Apart from compensation under this scheme, the survivor receives the fine amount that the perpetrator pays for committing the crime which is charged by the Court.(( Section 357B, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.))
Various state governments have formed Victim Compensation Schemes for acid attack survivors. Keeping in mind that there is a lack of uniformity in the state schemes, and the amount of compensation specified in most of these schemes is too low, the Supreme Court stated that:
To learn more on information on schemes in different states for survivors of violence, contact details of one-stop centres, protection officers and helpline numbers, check out the Nyaaya Map on Key Information for Survivors of Violence.
Given below are the list of State Victim Compensation Schemes in India:
| State | Name of the Scheme |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Arunachal Pradesh Victim Compensation Scheme, 2011 |
| Assam | Assam Victim Compensation Scheme, 2012 |
| Bihar | Bihar Victim Compensation Scheme, 2011 |
| Chattisgarh | Chattisgarh Victim Compensation Scheme, 2011 |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh Victim Assistance Scheme, 2012 |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli | Dadra and Nagar Haveli Victim Assistance Scheme, 2012 |
| Daman and Diu | Daman and Diu Victim Assistance Scheme, 2012 |
| Delhi | Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme, 2015 |
| Goa | Goa Victim Compensation Scheme, 2012 |
| Gujarat | Gujarat Victim Compensation Scheme, 2013 |
| Haryana | Haryana Victim Compensation Scheme, 2013 |
| Himachal Pradesh | Himachal Pradesh (Victim of Crime) Compensation Scheme, 2012 |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Jammu and Kashmir Victim Compensation Scheme, 2013 |
| Jharkhand | Jharkhand Victim Compensation Scheme, 2012 |
| Karnataka | Karnataka Victim Compensation Scheme, 2011 |
| Kerala | Kerala Victim Compensation Scheme, 2014 |
| Lakshadweep | Lakshadweep Victim Assistance Scheme, 2012 |
| Manipur | Manipur Victim Compensation Scheme, 2011 |
| Meghalaya | Meghalaya Victim Compensation Scheme, 2014 |
| Mizoram | Mizoram Victims Compensation Scheme, 2011 |
| Maharashtra | Maharashtra Victim Compensation Scheme, 2014 |
| Madhya Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh Victim Compensation Scheme, 2015 |
| Nagaland | Nagaland Victim Compensation Scheme, 2012 |
| Odisha | Odisha Victim Compensation Scheme, 2012 |
| Puducherry | Puducherry Victim Assistance Scheme, 2012 |
| Punjab | Punjab Victim Compensation Scheme, 2017 |
| Rajasthan | Rajasthan Victim Compensation Scheme, 2011 |
| Sikkim | Sikkim Compensation to Victims or his Dependents Scheme, 2011 |
| Tamil Nadu | Tamil Nadu Victim Compensation Scheme for Women Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault/other Crimes, 2018 |
| Tripura | Tripura Victim Compensation Scheme, 2012 |
| Uttar Pradesh | Uttar Pradesh Victim Compensation Scheme, 2014 |
| Uttrakhand | Uttarakhand Victim from Crime Assistance Scheme, 2013 |
| West Bengal | West Bengal Victim Compensation Scheme, 2012 |
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