UGC Cracks Down on Top Institutes as IITs, IIMs, AIIMS Face Heat for Ignoring Anti-Ragging Norms
In a shocking revelation that raises serious concerns about student welfare and institutional accountability, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued show-cause notices to 89 prominent higher education institutions — including some of the country’s most reputed names — for violating mandatory anti-ragging compliance norms.
Among the defaulters are four Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and three Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), institutions often hailed as the pinnacle of academic excellence in India.
The prestigious IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Hyderabad, and IIT Palakkad, along with IIM Bombay, IIM Rohtak, and IIM Tiruchirappalli, are now under the scanner for failing to submit required anti-ragging undertakings.
This lapse, however, isn’t merely a bureaucratic oversight — it points to a deeper, more disturbing neglect of student safety protocols at institutions that are expected to lead by example.
Institutions of “National Importance” Falling Short
Seventeen Institutes of National Importance, including AIIMS Raebareli and National Institutes of Design in Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, and Haryana, also feature on the UGC’s list of non-compliant institutions.
Others include the Indian Statistical Institute (Kolkata), NIPER Hyderabad, Aligarh Muslim University, Nalanda University, and IGNOU — institutions entrusted with shaping the nation’s academic future.
The UGC’s criticism is scathing. According to UGC Secretary Manish Joshi, these institutions have repeatedly ignored multiple advisories, reminder calls from the Anti-Ragging Helpline, and direct warnings issued by the Anti-Ragging Monitoring Agency.
“These failures indicate not just procedural negligence, but a systemic disregard for student well-being,” Joshi said in a strongly worded statement.
Regulatory Laxity or Institutional Arrogance?
The non-compliance revolves around the failure to collect and submit anti-ragging undertakings from students, their parents, and institutional authorities — a requirement under the UGC’s Anti-Ragging Regulations, 2009.
These mandates were specifically designed to create a paper trail of accountability and ensure a zero-tolerance policy towards ragging, a menace that has caused psychological trauma, campus violence, and even student suicides.
That some of India’s top institutions have ignored these basic safeguards reflects either a shocking level of administrative incompetence or an arrogant belief that they are above regulatory scrutiny.
In either case, it’s a breach of trust that students and their families place in these institutions.
Potential Penalties: A Wake-Up Call?
The UGC is not taking this lightly. It has warned of severe punitive action, including withdrawal of grants, financial assistance, research funding, and even derecognition or withdrawal of university affiliation if the institutions fail to comply within 30 days.
Such penalties could significantly affect these institutions’ operations, reputations, and student admissions.
What makes this situation more critical is the context: increasing reports of mental health issues, bullying, and hostile campus environments make compliance with anti-ragging norms not just a regulatory obligation but a moral one. Ignoring them sends a dangerous message — that elite institutions can sidestep student safety in favor of administrative convenience.
The Broader Question: Who’s Watching the Watchdogs?
This development prompts a broader, uncomfortable question: if institutions of such high stature are openly flouting anti-ragging guidelines, what can be expected of smaller, lesser-known colleges across the country?
The rot, it appears, runs deep — and unless regulatory enforcement is swift and uncompromising, student safety will continue to be treated as secondary.
In a country where academic pressure is already sky-high, institutional apathy towards ragging and campus hostility is unacceptable.
The UGC’s move is a much-needed reminder that no institution, no matter how elite, is above the law when it comes to safeguarding its students.
