A critical review of legal interventions for combating ragging in Sri Lankan universities: a case study of South Eastern University of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Ragging is a form of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). Sri Lanka has taken legislative, administrative and institutional measures to prevent ragging and to protect victims of ragging. Adversely, ragging continues to be a systematic abuse and grave human rights violation. This study critically evaluated the extent to which legal interventions succeeded to combat ragging in Sri Lankan Universities with an objective of identifying potential areas to be proposed as a way forward. Qualitative research method was adopted to develop this paper. Primary data was collected from the selected students, staff members of South Eastern University of Sri Lanka and officers of Akkaraipaththu police station. An open-ended questionnaire and face to face interview methods were used. Secondary data of this study was based on a desk study. The findings of the study disclosed that ragging has been made a criminal offence with rigid punishments by the Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act No. 20 of 1998 and University Grants Commission (UGC) Circular No. 946 dated 10.02.2011. A hotline and a special office have been set up to aid students who have been victims of ragging in universities. UGC has established a complaint portal to report ragging threat or harassment. Ministry of Higher Education has launched an application (App) for mobile devices for State university students to instantly inform the authorities of ragging incidents. Problem lays with the implementation of the legal interventions. There is an urgent need to educate students, staff members and police officers on available legal interventions to curb ragging in universities.