Action Against Ragging

• Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act 1999 which is in effect from 15th May 1999 has the following provisions for Action against Ragging.
• Ragging within or outside of any educational institution is prohibited.
• Whosoever directly or indirectly commits, participates in, abets or propagates ragging within or outside any educational institution shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term up to 2 years and / or penalty, which may extend to ten thousand rupees.
• Any student convicted of an offence of ragging shall be dismissed from the educational institution and such students shall not be admitted in any other educational institution for a period of five years from the date of order of such dismissal.
• Whenever any student or, as the case may be, the parent or guardian or a teacher of an educational institution complaints, in writing, of ragging to the head of the educational institution, the head of the education institution shall, without prejudice to the foregoing provisions, within seven days of the receipt of the complaint, enquire into the matter mentioned in the complaint and if, prima facie, it is found true, suspend the student who is accused of the office, and shall, immediately forward the complaint to the police station having jurisdiction over the area in which the educational institution is situated, for further action. Where, on enquiry by the head of the educational institution, it is found that there is no substance, prima facie, in the complaint received, he/she shall intimate the fact, in writing to the complainant. The decision of the head of the educational institution shall be final.
• If the head of the educational institution fails or neglects to act in the manner specified above when a complaint of ragging is made, such person shall be deemed to have abetted the offence and shall, on conviction, be punished.