Junior students walking around with shaved heads | Photo Credit: ANI

Key Highlights Action will be taken against those responsible: Vice-Chancellor Pictures and videos of the junior students with shaved heads are doing rounds on social media Instances of ragging at medical colleges have risen since 2016

Lucknow: In what is emerging as a brazen case of ragging from the state of Uttar Pradesh, over a hundred junior students of a medical college were seen with heads shaved on campus. The incident has come to light from the UP University of Medical Sciences in Saifai where as many as 150 medical students were seen roaming around the campus with their heads shaved.

While preliminary reports suggest that this is a case of ragging, the university's vice-chancellor told mediapersons that strict action will be taken against anyone found indulging in non-disciplinary behaviour. He also said that the junior students can approach their warden with complaints in this regard and that he will personally keep an eye open for any mischievious activity.

Formerly known as the UP Rural Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, the university is located on the Kurawali-Mainpuri-Etawah Road. The students in question are reportedly junior medical aspirants who joined the institution as part of the most recent admission process earlier this year. State government officials are yet to comment on the issue.

Etawah: Junior students of UP University of Medical Sciences,Saifai seen with shaved heads on campus, allegedly as part of ragging. Vice Chancellor says "If there has been any indiscipline,strict action will be taken. Students can approach at least their warden. I'll keep an eye" pic.twitter.com/DpKrCfRARe — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 20, 2019

Instances of ragging are not uncommon in colleges across India. In fact, a recent report by an NGO revealed that there has been a rise of over 80 per cent in ragging incidents in medical colleges in the country in the last two years as compared to 2016. While the total number of such cases reported in 2016 was 86, the number rose to 171 in 2017 and 163 in 2018. Out of some 460 medical colleges in India, about 270 are run by the central or state governments. A majority of these cases occurred at government medical colleges.

Laws in India describe ragging as disorderly conduct either by acts or spoken words aimed at teasing or treating one with rudeness. It also covers rowdy or undisciplined behaviour which causes physiological harm. While several states in the country have laws specifically for ragging, various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) apply to instances of ragging such as sections 339, 340, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351.

Bodies concerned with medical education in India such as the Medical Council of India and the Indian Medical Association have come out with guidelines to deal with instances of ragging. In 2009, the MCI even came out with the Medical Council of India (Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges/Institutions) Regulations, 2009.