Gujarat HC issues notice to authorities over ragging in medical college

The Gujarat high court on Monday issued notice to the state education authorities in connection with ragging incidents in medical colleges and sought a reply on steps taken to curb the menace in education institutes.

The bench of Chief Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Ashutosh Shastri took suo motu cognizance of the issue and filed a PIL after a sitting HC judge brought to the bench's notice an incident of ragging reported in a newspaper on January 3.

The report highlighted ragging incidents at BJ Medical College (BJMC) in Ahmedabad and BK Shah Medical Institute at Sumandeep Vidhyapith in Waghodia.

It added how the state government had not heeded the recommendations made by the Gujarat State Law Commission in 2021 to curb ragging in education institutes.

The division bench opined a response should be called from the authorities concerned on steps initiated by them to contain the menace.

The bench made additional chief secretary (education), commissioner of higher education, commissioner of technical education and commissioner of health, medical services, medical education and research as party respondents.

It sought their reply on the issue by January 30, when the further hearing on this subject has been posted.

Last month, seven BJMC students accused three senior students of ragging them.

The college conducted an inquiry, and its anti-ragging committee found three postgraduation students guilty and initiated punitive action against them.

The college has suspended them for two semesters.