In Context: 5 Web Perspectives On A Story In The News

Dangerous social trends at universities

(Sakaal Times) The Indian state of Maharashtra plans to create a committee to deal with ragging (a practice similar to hazing or initiation in Canada) at universities. The decision followed the suicide of Indian law student Prashant Chitalkar earlier this week. The state governor and education ministers will sit on the committee, which intends to make students more informed on the state's anti-ragging law. Current punishments for ragging include being barred from all higher education institutions for five years, a fine and most severely, two years imprisonment.

1.

Ragging in India

Wikipedia
This website provides information on the predominant social issue of ragging at Indian universities. It discusses the current prevalence of ragging, the laws surrounding the practice, emerging opposition to the practice and deaths resulting from ragging (many of which were suicides) from 2002 to 2009. The site also links to several organizations that are against ragging. Many higher education institutions in India currently ban ragging - but the bans are largely considered ineffective. India's medical schools are the most affected by ragging.

2.

Government information

Indian Department of Higher Education
This government website provides a 209-page report on ragging commissioned by the Supreme Court of India in 2006. It includes research from 11 cities across the country and provides strategies on how to prevent ragging at universities. The report states, "ragging adversely impacts the standards of higher education." It identifies four different types of ragging: verbal, severe verbal, physical and sexual. The report also includes cases and articles related to ragging. Both government officials and university professors were involved in the study.

3.

Opposition group

Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education
This is an anti-ragging website run by a non-profit organization called the Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education. This website has been in operation for six years. It distributes an annual periodical on ragging and provides online counselling for victims. It also provides visitors with information on how they can help prevent ragging. It publishes ragging statistics, news items, personal testimonials, history, answers to frequently asked questions and suggests the following approach to prevent ragging: "acceptance of ragging as a social evil... alternate means of interaction... (and) strict measures...and severe punishment." This website gets more than 5,000 visitors per month.

4.

Ragging in Sri Lanka

No Rag No Fear
This website was created by "anti-raggers" from the University of Peradeniya and opposes ragging in Sri Lanka - where it is worse than in any other country in the world and has been going on for the past 40 years. This website provides a history of ragging in Sri Lanka and information on current ragging incidents, as well as a legal definition of ragging. It includes an article written by a professor at the University of Perdeniya called "Ragging and Subculture." The website explains ragging in Sri Lanka is "torture on innocent students" that lasts for months and is manifested in physical and sexual abuse.

5.

Hazing in the United States

National Collaborative for Hazing Research and Prevention
This website is run by the National Collaborative for Hazing Research and Prevention, an organization at the University of Maine. The website provides a report on hazing at 53 American colleges and universities from 2008. The study surveyed more than 11,000 students and found 55 per cent experience hazing, which was defined as humiliating, degrading, abusive or endangering behaviour. The study also found 95 per cent of students who consider themselves victims of hazing did not report the incident. This report also provides a background on hazing, extensive data and demographic information. It found hazing to be most common among white females.