The Assam Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998
#### ASSAM I'ROHIBITION OF RAGGING ACT, 1998*

(Assam Act No. II of 1999)

_[Received l it_ _e (j JS('1I1 of the Governor Oil St_ _]t January . 19( 9)_

An Act to prch ibi t ra gg ing in th e Ed uca tiona l Ins tituti ons in ...vssam

P reamblc . W hereas it is expedien t to prohibit raggi ng in the
ed uca tio nal institu tio ns in Assam ;

It is here by enac ted in the Forty-ni nth Yea r of th e Rep ubl ic of
Ind ia as follows :

##### I. Shorl t itle . ex lenI and commen cemen t. (I) T his Act may be
calle d the Assam Pro hibition of Raggi ng Act, 1998.

(2) It extends to the whole of the Stat e of Assam .

(3) It sha ll c ome into force at once .

2. Definirions. In thi s Ac t, unl ess th e COil tex t o therwise rc qu ires :

(a) " educ at ional in stitu tio n" means any college , hav ing degree

c lasses and /o r higher sec o ndary classes and/o r post grad uat e

classes, juni or college a nd any level of classes above the
High School sta nda rd , engineering college or Uni ve rsi ty

administere d , managed. co nt ro lle d or run by the G ove rnment
o r o therwise and includes any hostel, boa rdi ng , pla y g ro und,

road, veh icle, premises and othe r pIact's ha ving nexu s with

tl:c afo rc sa iJ in stituti on s impar ting education ;

( b) " G overnme nt" m ean s th e SLate Go vc rnrncn tjor th e C entral
G overnmen t, us the case may be ;

(c) " rag ging" mea ns either d ispl ay of noisy or disorderly co nd uct

or d oi ng of any ::lCL which cau ses o r Jike ly to cau se social,

p hysical o r psych ol ogical ha rm or raise a pprehe ns io n o r fear

o r sha me o r embarra ssm ent to any studen t in any educati onal
institut ion, a nd in clu dcs-e-

(i> tea sing, abu sing o f, pla ying practical j uke s on o r causi ng

hu rt to suc h st uden t; o r

(ii) as ki ng the s tude nt ttl do a llY act o r perform so me thi ng

whic h such stude nt will no t, in the o rd ina ry co urse,

willingly do ;

(d) "St ate G ov ernme nt" mea ns the Govern ment of Assam;

(e ) "vic timi seu st ude nt" means a st ude nt wh o is a vic tim of

raggin g. ..

"'P ublished in the Assa m Ga zette, Exf ra ordina ry No. 2, dat ed

_12-1-1999. vide No titic a ti nn N o. LGL 16/9R/49 , d ated 12-(-1 999._

[ .\(,1 j


-----

S. 7] A SSAM P HOf illlll lON or RA GG ING Acr , 1998 563

. 3. . Prohlb itfun or ra ggin g. Ragging in any ed uc at io nal institu ti on

IS prohibite d a nd no person sha ll co mmit. a he l, pro paga te or pa rtic ipate
in ranging in a ny edu c.ui onat inst itu tio n. .

4. Penalt y for nl g J.:in g. Wh oever co mm its, p arti cip ate s in , abets
or propaga tes ra ggin g iu a ny cduc at ion a l in stituti on shnll be punishe d

with impri sonmen t fo r a te rm whi ch ma y ex te nd to six mo nths or with
fine which may ext end to ten tho usa nd rupees, or with both.

S. Expuls ion of th e stude nt from Ihe ed uca tional ins li lut ion . (I)
An y student c on vict ed of an o tlrn cc und er S. "; ~ li a ll be expelle d fr om

the c onc erned educa ti o na l insti tu tion to which he o r she be longs for a
peri od of not less than one academic session and such stude nt sha ll not

he a dmi tt ed in any ot her edu cat ion al inst itu tion d u rin g that per iod . .

(2) The au tho rity of t he con ce rne d ed uca t ion al in stitut ion sha ll
publish a t least in a lead ing da ily ne wspa per of th e Slate , th e del ailed
de scr ipt ion a lo ng w ith nam e. fa the r's name, a nd pe rm a nent add ress of
the stude n t so expelle d under sub -S, (I) rega rding h is. or her expu lsio n,
fo r in formation of o the r educat io na l in stitu tio ns with a written intima-
tion to the con cerned U ni versity, Boa rd or Council , as the case may be ,
which the concerned in stitu ti on is a ffilia ted 10 or recognised .

6, P Ol\i Cr S and func t ions of the head of the educational institution .
(I) W ithout prejudi ce to the foregoing provision s, whene ve r an y

student or gu ardi an or pa rent co mp la ins of ragging in wr iting 10 the

head of educati on al institut ion , or to a ny othe r person re spon sible for

the managem ent o f the ccluca tional institut ion co r ccrned, suc h hea d of
the ed uca t io na l in stitutio n or pe rson respo nsible for th e manageme nt of
the e duca t iona l institution . as t he c ase may or . sha ll e nqui re int o the
same immedia tel y and if found tr ue, sha ll suspend the st udc r.t, who ha s

co mmitted the o ffe nce. fr om the ed uca tio na l institut ion im mcdt a rcl v an d
afte r g iving the stude nt concerne d a reasonable opportu nity or 'being

heard . if t he he ad o f the ed ucat ion al instit u tio n or the pe rson res po n-

si ble fo r the m an ag ement of the ed uca tio na l ins t itu tion . as the case ma y
be , is sati sfied th at th e stu den t h HS co mmi tt ed a ny offen ce u nder thi s

Act, he ma y eithe r e xpel or rustica te th e student fr om educ ati onal in sti-
tu tion for a p eri od of no t less th an o ne a cad em ic se ssion or may pass
order as dee me d fu a nd proper in the la rge r inte res t of the ed uca ti onal

inst itut ion in p a rt ic ular a nd fo r es ta hlishing acade mic d isc ipline in

gene ral.

(2) Th e decisi on ta ken u nd er sub- So (t) by the head o f the Institu-

tion Of th e person re sp o nsibl e fo r ma nag ement of the educ at io na l

insti tution . sha ll be fin al a nd binding o n the s tude nt c once rned.

7. liabilitv of the head of the ed ucat iona l Insf itut ion . ( I) If the
head of the ed uc at ion al instit ut ion or pe rson re sponsib le for the ma nage-
men t o f th e ed ucat ional in sti tution fai ls or necle cts to take a ny ac t io n

in the manne r as pro vid ed in su b-S ( I) of S.6, when a co mplai nt of
ragging is inade, suc h head o f t he ed uc at iona l in stituti on or th e pe rson
responsible for ma nag e men t of t ne educa ti o na l lnsfitutio n. as the C3 '\ C

may be, shall be made pcrson utly ac c ou n tab le a nd lia ble fo r di scip lin ary
pr oceeding be fo re th e d epa r tme nta l hig her a u thority .

.~-- ..

##### :


-----

564 N ORTII- EA ST ~R N R~GJO N LOCAL A CTS & R UL~ S [So 8

(2) The Government may cau se any departmental enquiry in the
matter in case written complaint is recei ved against the head of the
institution or the per sou responsible for management of the educational

inst itution in respect of his fa ilur e or negligence as specified in sub-
S. (I), and take such appropriate action in accordance with the rules

of the Goverment for the time being in force,

8, Appeal. (I ) Any student, aggrieved by an order of rustication

or expulsion may prefer an appeal against the oder of the head of the
c ducational institution or the person responsible for management of the
**educational institution,** **as the** **case** **may be, before the Commissio ner**

and Secretary to the Government of Assam, Educat ion Dep artment for

**setting aside the order of such expulsion or rustication, as the case may**

be, within a period of fifteen days from the date of passing of such
order:

Provided that in the absence of Commissioner and Secretary, the

Secretary to the Government of Assam, Educati on Department shall he

the compete nt authority to entertain, hear and dispose of the appea l.

(2) After hea ring the appeal the Commis sioner and Secretary to

the Government of Assam, Education Department , shall dispose of the

appeal within thirty days from the date of its receipt and pass

appropria te orde r in writing which shall be final and binding.

9, Offence to be cognizable and bailable. An offence under this
Act shall be cognizable and bail able within the meaning of the Code

of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Act No.2 of 1974).

10. Court competent to take cognizance. (1) No Court lower than

a Court of Judicial Magistrat e of the First Class, shall take cognizance
of and try an offence under this Act.

(2) No Court shall ta ke cognizance of an offence under this Act,

except under complaint in writing made by or at the instance of the
victimised stud ent or on a rep ort in writing by a police officer not below
the ra nk of a Sub-Inspector .

11. Power for summary trial. Offences under this Act may be tried

summarily in the manner provided for summary trial under the Code

##### of Criminal Procedure , 1973 (Act No.2 of 1974).

12. Compounding. The offences und er this Act shall be com.

poundable at the instance of the complainant and the victimised stu dent
either before or after the inst itution of the proceedings.

13. Powe~ to make rules. (I) The Stat e Government may make

rule s for carrying out all or any of the purposes of this Act,

(2) All rules made under this Act shall be publi shed in the official
Gazette,

(3) All rules made by the State Government under this Act shall,

as soon as may be after the y are made be laid before the State
Legislature, whiJ~ it is in session, for a total period of not less than

four teen days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more


-----

S. 14] ASSAM P ROHIBITION OF RAGGING A CT, 1968 565

success ive sessions, and shall, unless some later date is appointed, take
e/fect from the da te of the ir publicati on in the official Gazelle subject

to such modificatio ns or annulment as the Legislatu re may, du ring the
said per iod agree to make, so however, that any such modification or

an nulment sha ll he without prejudice to the validity of any thing

previously done there under.

14. Repeal and savings. (I) Th e Assam Pr ohibition of Ragging
Ordin anc e. 1998 (Assam Ordinance No. IV of 1998) is her eby repealed .

(2) Notwithstan ding such repeal anything done or any action tak en

u nde r the Ordi nance so re pea led sha ll be deemed to have been do ne or
taken under the corresponding provisions of this Act.


-----

