Ragging at Gandhi Medical College: 10 senior MBBS students suspended for one year

Hyderabad: Taking note of instances of ragging of junior medicos, ten senior MBBS students of the government-run Gandhi Medical college have been suspended for one year by the Director of Medical Education (DME) here on Monday.

Based on an anti-ragging committee report, all the 10 students were suspended from the college for one year, according to DME Dr Ramesh Reddy.

All these senior students of MBBS course were found to be indulging in ragging juniors during the committee enquiry into the incident, he told UNI.

The students who were ragged, complained to the anti-ragging cell in UGC, New Delhi, he said, adding that the matter was conveyed to the Telangana authorities.

"We have suspended (them) for one year and we have evicted them from the hostel," he added.

It came to light that the seniors allegedly harassed the juniors by calling them in the middle of the night and made them dance, poked fun and used abusive language.

Also read- Ragging At GMC Haldwani: 3 MBBS Students Expelled For 6 Months, Fined Rs 25,000

"The ragging was mostly verbal and psychological. But the MBBS freshers said they felt harassed," an official said.

After issuing orders suspending 10 senior MBBS students, the DME also warned senior students in other private and government medical colleges in Telangana that if anyone indulges in ragging, firm action as per the anti-ragging rules will be taken.

"We have zero tolerance for ragging", the DME added.

Medical dialogues had earlier reported in June this year that the National Medical Commission (NMC) asked all the medical institutes across the country to submit compliance report on the Anti-Ragging measures by June 30, 2023.

Referring to the "National Medical Commission (Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges and Institutions) Regulations, 2021", the Apex medical commission pointed out that while it has already been one and half years since the regulations were passed, no medical colleges, institutes submitted the compliance report as per the directions.

Over the years, NMC has addressed the issue of ragging in medical colleges and introduced measures to put a stop to it.

Those Regulations specified the definition of ragging and also the actions that may constitute ragging. NMC also mentioned about the measures to prohibit and prevent ragging by institutions including the duties and responsibilities of the institutes, measures required to be taken by the medical colleges, issue of migration, transfer or conduct certificates, measures to encourage healthy interaction between freshers and seniors, Sensitisation of institutional employees and staff towards ragging, Institutional committees and related measures, Anti-ragging squad, Student Affairs or Hostel Committee, duties of the universities, etc.

Later, in an attempt to address the instances of ragging in the medical colleges NMC set up an anti-ragging cell to examine and resolve complaints forwarded by anti-ragging committees of different medical colleges. Issuing an order in this regard last year, NMC the Apex medical education regulatory body informed that the cell members of this anti-ragging cell shall meet once every month in order to take up the ragging complaints and undertake an independent enquiry.

Also read- NMC Directs Medical Colleges To Submit Compliance Report On Anti-Ragging Measures, Gives Deadline