The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has published a University Grants Commission (UGC) order which emphasizes to all Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) and Regulatory Bodies, the critical need for strict compliance with its anti-ragging regulations and the strengthening of monitoring mechanisms.
In a letter dated May 13, 2025, the UGC reiterated its commitment to ensuring a safe and conducive learning environment across all HEIs. It noted that a year has passed since the issuance of its notification mandating the implementation of robust anti-ragging measures, including the Mentor-Mentee system, legal counsel support, institutional accountability, and surprise compliance checks.
As part of a structured review process, the UGC is now seeking specific actions:
- Compliance Verification: All HEIs and Regulatory Bodies are required to submit detailed reports on the implementation status of the UGC anti-ragging guidelines. These reports should highlight the specific efforts undertaken by institutions to prevent ragging, including awareness campaigns, disciplinary actions taken, and proactive engagement with students. These reports must be submitted to the email address: raggingcell@yahoo.in.
- Strengthened Monitoring Measures: The UGC has directed all Regulatory Councils and Monitoring Agencies to streamline their anti-ragging compliance checks. This includes enhancing surprise inspections and ensuring the rigorous enforcement of preventive policies within educational institutions.
- Inter-Council Coordination: To further enhance enforcement effectiveness, the UGC is inviting collaborative efforts from key regulatory bodies such as AICTE, NMC, INC, and other relevant councils. The aim is to coordinate compliance reviews and institutional inspections. A meeting to discuss and plan further collaborative action will be scheduled by the UGC in the near future.
The UGC has urged all recipients to provide a detailed status report by June 1, 2025, to ensure the timely and effective implementation of comprehensive anti-ragging measures across the higher education landscape in India.
