A major ragging event involving senior medical students and their juniors has lately brought considerable attention to the surgery department of the Narendra Modi Medical College in Maninagar, Ahmedabad. Four senior students have been suspended due to the seriousness of the situation, which raises questions about the institution’s culture and the suitability of its response to such problems. This episode highlights the persistent battle, in spite of multiple rules and regulations aimed at curtailing this behavior, to eradicate ragging from educational institutions in India.
Dr. Vraj Vaghani, Dr. Shivani Patel, Dr. Karankumar Parejiya, and Dr. Aneri Nayak are the four senior students that were suspended. The duration of the suspensions differed; Drs. Aneri Nayak and Karankumar Parejiya were suspended for twenty-five days, while Drs. Vraj Vaghani and Shivani Patel were suspended for two years. Their disrespectful and insulting behavior toward junior students, which resulted in their suspension, brought attention to the ongoing problem of ragging in educational institutions.
In many Indian educational institutions, ragging—a type of bullying that frequently involves psychological and physical abuse—has long been an issue. Incidents persist despite many campaigns and stringent legislation aimed at its eradication, indicating the pervasiveness of this problem. In this instance, senior students gave their junior counterparts commands that included making them write a prescription 700 times as a kind of punishment and prohibiting them from having a shower for seven days. In addition to being degrading, such acts may have a lasting psychological impact on the victims.
On May 16, the junior students went to Dr. Ashit Patel, the head of the institute’s general surgery department, feeling harassed and abused. Dr. Patel did nothing in response to the juniors’ complaints, which made them feel even more frustrated and powerless. The parents of the junior students who were impacted by this issue escalated the topic to Dr. Patel via email on May 19, but nothing changed. This senior faculty member’s lack of responsiveness draws attention to a crucial problem: some authorities are failing to appropriately handle ragging allegations, which can give offenders confidence and deter victims from coming forward.
The distraught parents went to the higher authorities at LG Hospital in Khokhra, which runs the Narendra Modi Medical College, after the department head dismissed their grievances. Following receipt of the complaints, Dr. Leena Dabhi, the hospital superintendent, and Dipti Shah, the college dean, eventually took notice of the matter. Following this intervention, the department heads and college council met and went over the evidence submitted by the complainants, which included audio files and WhatsApp conversations. The decision to suspend the four senior students was decided in light of this evidence.
More extensive conversations concerning the effectiveness of the anti-ragging policies in place today and the duties of educational institutions to safeguard their students have been spurred by this tragedy. If someone is found guilty of ragging, they face harsh penalties under India’s Anti-Ragging Act, which include suspension and expulsion. Furthermore, standards and hotlines for reporting instances of ragging have been developed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for students. The persistence of these instances suggests that more work needs to be done to ensure that all complaints are taken seriously and promptly handled, as well as to reform the institutional culture.
When questioned about the event, Ramesh Merja, the deputy municipal commissioner, stated that the four senior students had been suspended but denied any involvement in any sexual harassment. He forwarded questions concerning this matter to the college dean, suggesting that there may not have been thorough communication within the administrative structure. This brings up another point: while managing such delicate matters, there must be prompt, clear, and transparent communication between the various levels of administration.The Narendra Modi Medical College affair is a microcosm of a wider problem plaguing Indian educational institutions as a whole. In addition to upsetting the learning environment, ragging puts its victims’ mental health at serious danger. According to studies, those who are raped may experience anxiety, depression, or other psychological problems that negatively impact their general wellbeing and ability to function in school. Therefore, it is critical that educational institutions promote a zero-tolerance policy against bullying and establish a secure, encouraging atmosphere for all students.
It is imperative for institutions to guarantee that anti-ragging rules are not only implemented but also vigorously upheld. This entails running recurring awareness campaigns, offering victim support networks, and making certain that teachers and staff have the necessary training to properly handle grievances. Establishing unbiased, independent authorities within institutions to look into complaints and respond quickly against offenders is also essential.
One cannot overstate the importance of students in the fight against ragging. It is important to urge senior students in particular to lead by example and contribute to the development of a welcoming and encouraging environment for newcomers. In this sense, peer mentorship programs can be beneficial since they promote mutual respect and understanding and aid in bridging the gap between seniors and juniors.
The Narendra Modi Medical College parents’ involvement in resolving the matter emphasizes how crucial parental support is in the fight against ragging. It is important for parents to recognize the warning signs of bullying and to support their children in speaking out against harassment of any kind. Establishing channels of communication with parents and incorporating them in anti-ragging campaigns are two ways that institutions can help with this.
SOURCE:
MEDICAL DIALOGUE
