• UGC given necessary instructions, ministry to keep clear

The Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Training stated that the University Grants Commission (UGC) are scrambling to take the necessary steps to appoint dedicated officers at all State universities to address incidents of ragging, it is learnt.

It was reported recently that the Ministry has decided to appoint dedicated officers to every state university to support students who face ragging-related incidents.

When asked by The Daily Morning about the progress of the appointments, the ministry's Secretary, Nalaka Kaluwewa, said that the ministry had no involvement in the process. "The UGC has been given the necessary instructions. The appointments will be handled by them. The Ministry is not involved in that process," he added.

Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Madura Seneviratne recently said that dedicated officers would be appointed under the purview of each university’s governing council, and that they would be tasked with providing immediate support and guidance to students affected by ragging and related incidents.

Ragging in Sri Lankan universities has been a serious issue for years, and has adversely affected many students. Freshers sometimes find themselves going through intense humiliation, bullying, and even physical abuse by their seniors within universities. Even though there are rules and laws meant to stop ragging, the problem still persists in many universities.