Root out ragging: PM to governors

Updated on: Monday, October 31, 2011

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for "zero tolerance" towards the "menace" of ragging and asked Governors to ensure that the practice is rooted out once and for all.

"The practice of subjecting promising young men and women to physical, psychological and emotional abuse cannot be tolerated in any civilized society. We must collectively do everything that is required to end this menace," the Prime Minister said speaking on the concluding day of the Governors' Conference here.

As Chancellors of the university system, Governors have a special responsibility to ensure that this menace is wiped out for good, Singh said.

"It needs to be made unambiguously clear to authorities of educational institutions, other enforcement agencies, and the student community, that there is zero tolerance to ragging of any kind."

Ragging was one of the items on the agenda for this conference.

Underlining the Supreme Court's clear directions issued in May 2009 for curbing incidents of ragging, Singh said his government had taken several steps to check the practice.

In response to the Governors of Meghalaya and some other northeastern states pointing out that students from the region face discrimination when they come to study in Delhi, he said, "This has to be seen in the general context of complaints of discriminatory treatment to our citizens from North Eastern states when they choose to live in other parts of the country."

He assured that the UPA government stands committed to the physical and emotional integration of our northeastern states into the mainstream of development.

"I would request the Home Minister to look into these issues again and do whatever more is required to address them," Singh said.

Root out ragging: PM to governors

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