Fri Apr 04 02:15:37 UTC 2025: ## Telangana Medical Colleges Grapple with Persistent Ragging Despite Strict Rules
**Hyderabad, April 4, 2025** – Despite existing anti-ragging laws and committees, medical colleges in Telangana continue to struggle with a deeply rooted culture of ragging, leaving many students traumatized and fearing reprisal. Two recent cases highlight the ongoing problem: one involving a student whose haircut prompted mocking and ultimately a forced head-shaving by an anti-ragging officer; the other, where a student was physically assaulted and threatened after inadvertently waking a senior.
These incidents are not isolated. A report by the Society Against Violence in Education (SAVE) reveals that while medical colleges comprise only 1.1% of India’s student population, they account for a disproportionate 38.6% of total ragging complaints, 35.4% of serious cases, and 45.1% of ragging-related deaths. Telangana’s Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences alone reported 25 complaints between 2022 and 2024.
While the Supreme Court (2001) and the University Grants Commission (2009) have mandated anti-ragging measures, including student affidavits, institutions often handle cases internally, hindering comprehensive data collection. Although older, established colleges have seen some improvement due to separate hostel blocks for seniors and juniors, newer institutions with floor-wise divisions face higher risks.
Authorities acknowledge the problem, stating that disciplinary actions are taken when complaints are filed, but admit the actual number of ragging incidents is likely higher due to underreporting. Efforts to curb ragging include awareness programs, involvement of law enforcement, and counselling sessions for senior students. However, experts argue that a deeper understanding of the psychological dynamics at play is needed. Ragging, they say, often starts subtly but escalates into abuse, creating a cycle of victimization and perpetration. The psychological toll on victims can be severe, leading to long-term mental health issues.
The silence surrounding ragging, fueled by fear of retaliation, is a significant barrier to addressing the problem. Experts emphasize the need for a multi-pronged approach: strict enforcement of policies alongside comprehensive education for students, faculty, and staff, and improved mental health support for victims. Until a shift in campus culture occurs, the distressing reality remains: for many medical students, their introduction to the profession begins not with healing, but with survival.
First Piper 