The Assam Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998

(c) ASSAM I'ROHIBITION OF RAGGING ACT, 1998* (Assam Act No. II of 1999) [Received l ite (j JS('1I1 of the Governor Oil St]t January . 19( 9) An Act to pr c h ibi t ra gg ing in th e Ed uca tiona l Ins ti tuti on s in ...vssam P r eamblc . W herea s it is expedien t to prohibit raggi ng in the ed uca ti o nal inst itu tio ns in As sam ; It is here by enac ted in the F o r ty-ni n th Yea r of th e Republ ic o f I nd ia as follows : I. S hor l t itle . ex lenI and commen cemen t. (I) T his Act may be ca lle d the A ssam Pro hibition of Raggi ng Act, 1998. (2) I t extends to the whole o f the Stat e of Assam . (3) It sha ll come into force at once . 2. Definir ion s. In thi s Ac t , unless th e COil tex t o the rwise rcqu ires : (a) " educat ional in stitu tio n" means any college , havin g degree classes and/o r higher sec o ndary classes and/or post grad uat e classes, junior college a nd any level of classes above th e H igh Scho ol sta nda rd , engineering co llege o r Universi ty ad min is te re d , managed. co nt ro lle d or run by the G o ve rnment o r o therwise and includes any hostel, boa rdi ng , pla y g rou nd , r o ad, veh ic le , premises and othe r p Iact's having nexu s with t l:c afo rc sa iJ instituti on s impar ting educatio n ; ( b) " G o vern ment" mean s th e SLate Go vc rnrncn tjor th e Central G over nmen t , us the case may be ; " rag ging" mea ns either d ispl ay o f noisy or d iso rder ly co nd uc t o r d oi ng o f any ::lCL which cau ses o r Jike ly to cause social, p h ysica l o r psychol og ical ha rm o r ra ise a p p rehens io n o r fear o r sha me o r embarra ssm ent to any stud en t in any educati onal institut ion, a nd in clu d cs-e- (i> te a sing , abu sing o f, playing practical j ukes o n o r causi ng hu rt to suc h st ud ent; o r (ii) as ki ng the s t ude nt ttl d o a llY act o r perform so me thi ng whic h such s t ude nt will not , in the o rd ina ry co u rse, willingly do ; (d) "Sta te G ov ern me n t" mea ns the Government of Assam; (e ) "vic t imi se u st ude nt" means a st ude nt wh o is a vic t im of r agging . .. "'P ub lished in the Assam Gazette, Exf ra ordina ry N o. 2, d at ed 12-1-1999. v ide N o t itic a ti n n N o. LGL 16/9R/49 , d ated 12-(-1 999. [ .\(,1 j S. 7] .~ .. - ... ~" - A SSAM P HOf i ll lll lON o r RA GG ING Acr , 1998 563 . 3 . . Prohlb itf un or r a g gin g . Ragging i n any ed ucat io nal in sti tu ti on IS prohibite d a nd no person sh a ll co mmit. a he l, pro pag a te o r pa r tic ipa te in ranging in a ny edu c.ui onat inst itu t io n . . 4 . Penalty for nl gJ.:ing. Wh o ever co mm its, parti cip ates in , abets o r propaga te s ra ggin g iu a ny cduc at ion a l in stituti o n sh nll be punishe d wi th impri sonmen t fo r a te rm which ma y ex te nd to s ix mo nths or with fine which may ext end to ten th o usa nd rupees, o r with both. S. E x puls io n o f th e s tude nt fr om Ihe educa tional ins li lut ion . (I) Any stud ent con vict ed of an o tlrn cc u nd er S. "; ~ li a ll be ex pe lle d fr om the concerned educa ti o na l insti tu tion to which he o r she be longs for a peri od o f not le ss than one academi c sessio n and su ch s tud e nt sha ll not he a dmi tt ed in any ot her educat ion al inst itu tion d u ring that per iod . . (2 ) The au thority of the con ce rned ed uca t ional in stitut ion sha ll publi sh a t least in a lead ing da ily ne wspape r o f th e Slate , th e d el a iled de scr ipt ion a lo ng with nam e. fa ther 's name, a nd pe rm a nent add ress o f the stu d e n t so expelle d under sub -S, (I) rega rding his. o r her expu lsio n , fo r in formation of o the r educat io na l in st itu t io ns with a written intima­ tion to the concerned U ni versity, Bo a rd or Council , as the case may be , which the concerned in stitu ti on is a ffil ia ted 10 o r recog nised . 6, P Ol\iCr S and func t ions of the head of the educational institution . (I) W itho u t prejudi ce to the foregoing provision s, wheneve r an y student or gu ardian o r parent compla ins of ragging in wr iting 10 the head o f education al institut ion , o r to a ny other person re sponsible for the management o f the ccluca tio n al inst itu t io n co r ccrned, suc h head o f the ed uca t io na l in stitutio n or pe rson respo nsibl e for th e manageme nt o f the educa t iona l institution . a s t he case may or . sh a ll enqui re i nt o the same immedia tel y and if found true, sh a ll suspend the st udc r.t , who has co mmitted the o ffe nce. fr om the ed uca t io na l inst itut io n im mcdt a rcl v and afte r g iving the stu de nt concerned a reasonable opportu nity or 'being heard . if t he he ad o f the ed u cat ion al instit u tio n o r the pe rso n res pon­ sible fo r the man ag ement o f th e educa tio na l ins t itu tio n . as the case may be , is satisfied that th e stu den t h HS commi tt ed a n y o ffen ce u nd e r thi s Ac t, h e m a y e ithe r e x pe l o r r ust ica te th e stu d ent fr om educ ati o nal in sti­ tu tio n for a peri o d o f n o t less th an o ne a cad em ic se ssi on o r may pa ss order as deemed fu a nd p roper in the la rge r in te res t o f the ed uca ti onal in st itut ion in p a r t ic u lar a nd fo r es ta hlish ing academ ic d isc ip line in ge ne ral. (2) Th e dec isi on ta ken u nder sub-S o(t) by the head o f the Institu­ tion Of th e perso n re sp o nsibl e fo r ma nag emen t of the educ at io na l insti tution . shall be fin al a nd binding o n the s tu de n t conce rned. 7. liabilitv of the head of the ed ucat io na l Insf itut ion . ( I) If the head of the ed uc at ion al instit ut ion o r pe rson re sponsib le for the ma nage­ men t o f the ed ucat ional in sti tution fai ls or nec le c ts to take a ny act io n in the manne r as pro vid ed in su b-S ( I) of S.6, when a co mplai nt o f ragging is inad e , suc h head o f t he ed ucat iona l in st itu ti o n o r th e pe r so n resp o nsib le fo r ma nag emen t of t ne educa ti o na l lnsf it u t io n. a s the C3 '\ C may be, shall be made pcrson u tly ac c ou n table a n d lia b le fo r di sc ip lin ary pr oceed ing be fo re th e d epa r tme nta l hig he r a u thority . .~-- .. : 564 NORTII-EAST~RN R~GJON LOCAL A CTS & RUL~S [So 8 (2) The Government may cau se an y departmental enquiry in the matter in case written complaint is recei ved against the head of the inst itution or the per sou responsibl e for management of the educational inst itu tion in respect of his fa ilur e or negligence as specified in sub­ S. ( I), and take such appropriate ac t ion in accordance with the rules of the Goverment for the time being in force, 8, Appeal. (I ) Any stude n t, aggrieved by an order of rustication or expulsion may prefer an appeal aga inst the oder of the head of the c ducational institu tion or the per son responsible for man agement of the educatio nal institution, as the case may be, before the Commissio ner and Secretary to the Government of Assam , Educat ion Department for sett ing aside the order of such expulsion or rustica tion, as the case may be, within a period of fifteen days from the date of passing of such order: Provided that in the absence of Commissioner and Secret a ry, the Secreta ry to the Government of Assam, Educati on Department sha ll he the com pete nt authority to entertain, hear and dispose of the appea l. (2) After hea ring the appeal the Commis sioner and Secretary to the Govern ment of Assam, Education Department , shall dispose of the appea l within thi r ty days from the date of its receipt and pass appropria te orde r in writing which shall be final and binding. 9, Offence to be cognizable and bailable. An offence under this Act shall be cognizable and bail able within the meaning of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Ac t No.2 of 1974). 10. Court competent to take cognizance. (1) No Co urt lower than a Court of Judicial Magistr at e of the First Class, shall take cognizance of and try an offence under thi s Act. (2) No Court shall ta ke cognizance of an offence under this Act, exce pt under complaint in writing made by or at the instance of the victimised stud ent or on a report in writing by a police officer not below the ra nk of a Sub-Inspector . 11. Power for summary tri al. Offences under this Act may be tried summarily in the ma nner provided for summary tri al under the Code of Criminal Procedure , 1973 (Act No.2 of 1974). 12. Compounding. The offences und er this Act shall be com. poundabl e at the instance of the compl ainant and the victimised stu dent either before or after the inst itution of the proceedings. 13. Powe~ to make ru les. (I) The Stat e Government may make rule s for carrying ou t all or any of the purposes of thi s Act , (2) All rules made under th is Act shall be publi shed in the official Gazette, (3) All rules made by the State Government und er this Act shall, as soon as may be after they are made be laid before the State Legislature, whiJ~ it is in sess ion, for a tot al peri od of not less tha n four teen days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more S. 14] ASSAM P ROHIBITION OF RAGGING ACT, 1968 565 success ive sessions, and shall, unless some lat er date is appointed, take e/fect from the date of the ir publicati on in the official Gazell e subject to such modificatio ns or annulment as the Legislatu re ma y, du rin g th e sa id per iod agree to ma ke, so ho wever, that any such modificatio n or an nulment sha ll he without prejudice to the validity of anything previo usly done there unde r . 14. Repeal and savings. ( I) Th e Assam Pr ohib iti on of Ragging Ordinanc e. 1998 (Assam Ordinance No. IV of 1998) is her eby repealed . (2) Notwithstan ding such repeal anything done or any action tak en under the Ordi nance so re pea led sha ll be de emed to have been do ne or taken under the co rrespondi ng provisions of this Act.