Kerala Speaker urges review of anti-ragging law

The Speaker of the Kerala Assembly, A.N. Shamseer, has called for a review of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, which was enacted 27 years ago. This decision comes in response to concerns about rising campus violence and ragging incidents. A.P. Anil Kumar, a member of the Congress party, criticized the government for not creating necessary rules for the Act despite it being approved in 1998. He pointed out that the Assembly's rules require these rules to be formulated within 90 days of the Act's publication. He argued that the lack of rules makes it hard to enforce the law, leaving students at risk. The government responded through Industries and Law Minister P. Rajeeve, who acknowledged the need for review but noted that the law already includes punishments like expulsion and legal action against offenders. He recognized that recent incidents show the need to rethink the law's provisions. The Speaker reminded everyone that the Kerala High Court had classified ragging as a crime in 1991, allowing police involvement in schools. However, the absence of specific rules has hindered effective enforcement. Shamseer stressed the importance of reassessing whether current laws are adequate or if new rules are necessary to combat ragging effectively.