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.
