The Andhra Pradesh Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1997.
**THE ANDHRA PRADESH PROHIBITION OF RAGGING ACT, 1997**

**(ACT NO. 26 OF 1997)**

**ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS**

**SECTIONS**

**1.** Short title and commencement

**2.** Definitions

**3.** Prohibition of Ragging

**4.** Penalty for Ragging

**5.** Dismissal of student

**6.** Suspension of student

**7.** Abetment

**8.** Other laws not affected

**9.** Power to make rules

**10.** Repeal of Ordinance 12 of 1997


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**THE ANDHRA PRADESH PROHIBITION OF RAGGING ACT, 1997**

**ACT No.26 OF 1997**
(21[st] August, 1997)

**AN ACT TO PROHIBIT RAGGING IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS**
**IN THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH.**

Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Andhra
Pradesh in the Forty-eighth Year of the Republic of India, as follows:
**1. Short title and commencement - (1) This Act may be called the**
Andhra Pradesh Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1997.

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Andhra Pradesh;

(3) It shall be deemed to have come into force with effect from 4th
July, 1997.

**2. Definitions - In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-**

(a) “act” includes words either spoken or written or signs or
sounds or gestures or visible representations;

(b) “Educational Institution” means and includes a college, or
other institution by whatever name called, carrying on the activity
or imparting education therein (either exclusively or among other
activities); and includes an orphanage or boarding home or hostel
or a tutorial institution or any other premises attached thereto;

(c) **“Government”** means the State Government of Andhra
Pradesh;

(d) “notification” means the notification published in the Andhra
Pradesh Gazette and the word ‘notified’ shall be construed
accordingly;

(e) “ragging” means doing an act which causes or is likely to cause
insult or annoyance of fear or apprehension or threat or
intimidation or outrage of modesty or injury to a student;

(f) **“student” means a person who is admitted to an educational**
institution and whose name is lawfully borne on the attendance
register thereof;

(g) All words and expressions used but not defined in this Act shall
have the meanings assigned to them under the Andhra Pradesh
Education Act, 1982 (Act 1 of 1982) or the Indian Penal Code, 1860
(Central Act 45 of 1860) respectively.

**3. Prohibition of Ragging - Ragging within or outside any educational**
institution is prohibited.


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**4. Penalty for Ragging - Whoever, with the intention of causing**
ragging or with the knowledge that he is likely by such act to cause
ragging, commits or abets ragging and thereby,
(i) teases or embarrasses or humiliates a student shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to six months or with fine which may extend to
one thousand rupees or with both; or

(ii) assaults or uses criminal force to or criminally
intimidates a student shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or
with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees or
with both; or

(iii) wrongfully restrains or wrongfully confines or causes
hurt to a student shall be punished with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to two years or with fine
which may extend to five thousand rupees or with both;
or

(iv) causes grievous hurt to or kidnaps or abducts or rapes or
commits unnatural offence with a student shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may
extend to five years and with fine which may extend to
ten thousand rupees; or

(v) causes death or abets suicide shall be punished with
imprisonment for life or with imprisonment for a term
which may extend to ten years and with a fine which may
extend to fifty thousand rupees.

**5. Dismissal of student - (1) A student convicted, of an offence under**
section 4 and punished with imprisonment for a term shall be
dismissed from the educational institution.

(2) A student convicted of an offence under section 4 and punished
with imprisonment for a term of more than six months shall not be
admitted in any other educational institution.

**6.Suspension of student - (1) Without prejudice to the foregoing**
provisions, whenever any student complains of ragging to the head or
manager of an educational institution, such head or manager shall
inquire into or cause an inquiry to be made into the same forthwith and
if the complaint is primafacie found true, shall suspend the student or
students complained against for such period as may be deemed
necessary.

(2) The decision of the head or manager of the educational
institution under sub-section (1) shall be final.

**7. Abetment - (1) If the head or the manager of an educational**
institution fails or neglects to take action in the manner specified in
sub-section (1) of section 6, such person shall be deemed to have


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abetted the offence and shall be punished with the punishment
provided for the offence.

(2) If a student commits suicide due to or in consequence of
ragging, the person who commits such ragging shall be deemed to have
abetted such suicide.

**8. Other laws not affected - The provisions of this Act shall be in**
addition to and not derogatory of any law for the time being in force.

**9. Power to make rules - (1) The Government may by notification,**
make rules for carrying out all or any of the purposes of this Act.

(2) Every rule made under this Act shall immediately after it is
made, be laid before the Legislative Assembly of the State, if it is in
session and if it is not in session, in the session immediately following
for a total period of fourteen days which may be comprised in one
session or in two successive session, and if, before the expiration of the
session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, the
Legislative Assembly agrees in making any modification in the rule or
in the annulment of the rule, the rule shall, from the date on which the
modification or annulment is notified, have effect only in such modified
form or shall stand annulled as the case may be so, however, that any
such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the
validity of anything previously done under that rule.

**10. Repeal of Ordinance 12 of 1997 - The Andhra Pradesh Prohibition**
of Ragging Ordinance 12 of 1997 is hereby repealed.


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