Ministry, UGC joins to wipe out ragging

Dharma Sri Abeyratne

Students who gain admission to the university system must enter into an agreement with the University Grants Commission (UGC) from this year pledging that they will never involve themselves in ragging until the completion of their academic activities.

The Higher Education Ministry and the UGC have jointly taken this initiative aimed at wiping out ragging from the university system.

Accordingly, no one who refuses to sign this agreement will be admitted to the university system as the agreement is mandatory, UGC Chairman Professor Gamini Samaranayake said.

A copy of this agreement issued along with the university admission application form is being issued by the UGC since February 3. The UGC called applications for university admissions for the academic year 2009/2010 from candidates who have satisfied the minimum requirements at the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination held in August 2009.

Candidates who have obtained at least three simple passes in all three approved subjects and a minimum mark of 30 percent for the Common General Paper are eligible to apply for university admission. Seniors who engage in ragging will be punished under the provisions of the Anti Ragging Act, Professor Samaranayake warned.

Disciplinary action will be taken against any student who had signed the agreement but proved to have been involved in any sort of ragging during his academic period.

The UGC will issue a circular how the Anti Ragging Act is to be implemented to end ragging. Every Vice Chancellor will receive the circular in due course.

“Disciplinary action will be taken against students without considering their position who have signed the agreement that they would never involve in ragging,” Prof. Samaranayake noted.