The All India Institute of Medical Sciences has suspended a dozen students for three months over ragging, in the first such step by India's premier medical institution.

Five of the culprits were studying MBBS while the rest were paramedical students.

According to sources, a first-year student has been badly injured and is receiving treatment. Ragging on India's school and college campuses has over the years provoked dozens of students to commit suicide, fall into depression, or leave renowned institutes that few can get into.

The issue received international attention in 2009 when 19-year-old Aman Satya Kachroo died after allegedly being bullied by four seniors at a medical college in Himachal. His father took the matter to the Supreme Court and managed to get an order setting up parameters on ways to prevent ragging.

The incident at AIIMS came to the notice of authorities this week when the victims complained to the anti-ragging cell of the institute.

A senior official at the medical, on the condition of anonymity, told Mail Today, "The very recent incident has happened around three days back when senior MBBS student harassed at least 3-4 first-year MBBS students. Another case of ragging was noticed among students of BSc optometry and MSc students who were found to have indulged in ragging."

The AIIMS administration has issued strict directives to check ragging. In view of the incident, the security guards have been asked to keep vigil on students, said the official.

"Looking at the very sensitive matter, we formed the anti-ragging committee at AIIMS in which director, deputy director (administration), dean and registrar took the decision to suspend the students for three months from all academic activities and hostel facilities," he said.

"A large number of private security guards would be deployed in the institute. They will keep an eye on resident doctors, senior and new medical and nursing students."

Another senior AIIMS official informed Mail Today that the ragging took place at the boys' hostel where first-year students were forced to perform embarrassing acts.

"In this entire sad incident, one student got injured when he tried to protect himself," he said. "In 2015, a 17-year old MBBS first-year student allegedly committed suicide at her hostel room inside the campus by hanging herself, which police suspected was a case of ragging."

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