HC directs Kerala govt. to complete steps to table anti-ragging Bill

The Kerala High Court has directed the State government to complete within four weeks all steps for tabling the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging (Amendment) Bill, 2025 before the Assembly.

A Bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice C. Jayachandran issued the directive in a public interest litigation filed by Kerala Legal Services Authority (KeLSA), seeking stronger laws to combat the menace posed by ragging in educational institutions. The government submitted that a file in this regard will be sent to the Law department, after which it will be placed before the Council of Ministers.

The draft of the Bill had proposed the constitution of anti-ragging committees, squads and mentoring cells in all educational institutions, and also anti-ragging cells at all police stations in the State. It specifies that the head of the institution shall within 24 hours of receiving information or a complaint about ragging determine whether a prima facie case is made out for registering a first information report (FIR) and to take further action.

Subsequently, the student accused of ragging shall be suspended forthwith. The anti-ragging committee, headed by the head of the institution, shall include faculty members, non-teaching staff, senior students and freshers, parents, representatives of civil and police administration, local media, and NGOs involved in youth affairs.