Raggers will no longer hold sway -Minister Dissanayake

Nadira Gunatilleke

‘The government will let no parent worry over the safety of an undergraduate’s life in future. Raggers will not be allowed to harm freshers. State educational institutions will be freed of ragging soon. The common law of the country will be implemented in State universities, Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake told the Daily News.

Minister Dissanayake said that the main objective of the raggers is to completely destroy the self-confidence and personality of freshers.

”The cream of Lankan youths enter state universities. The government annually spends around Rs 250,000 per graduate and another Rs 300,000 for every Bhikku student.

The State spends billions of rupees to create future leaders of Sri Lanka. Raggers turn this whole process back, the minister said.

According to Minister Dissanayake, former Education Minister Richard Pathirana brought an Act to eradicate ragging but it was not successful.

The government will not let any more freshers die or become permanently disabled because of ragging. Ragging will be completely eradicated from the education system,” he said. The whole university education system will be upgraded to match international standards.

Arrangements will be made to seek the possibility of offering relief for the victims of raggers who became disabled and for the parents who lost children due to ragging.

They will be compensated if required, the minister added.