Medical College Committee Suspends 4 Senior Doctors in Ahmedabad for Ragging Incidents

Four senior doctors from Narendra Modi Medical College in Maninagar, managed by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s Medical Education Trust (AMC MET), have been suspended for ragging junior doctors. The senior doctors subjected juniors to mental harassment, including making them go without food for seven days and forcing them to write the same prescription 700 times. The college council received complaints, leading to the suspension of two male and two female doctors after an investigation.

Two Female and Two Male Doctors Suspended

At Narendra Modi Medical College in Maninagar, two female and two male Indian doctors were found guilty of ragging four junior doctors. Despite the seriousness of the incident, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Ramesh Merja, who oversees the hospital department, did not provide further details, indicating an attempt to suppress the issue. However, the incident eventually came to light.

Mental Harassment Through Ragging

According to sources from Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, four senior doctors at Narendra Modi Medical College were reported to have ragged junior doctors. First-year doctors were harassed by second and third-year seniors, who verbally abused them via WhatsApp and phone calls. On May 16, the junior doctors complained to Dr. Ashish Patel, the Head of the Department.

Punishment for Non-compliance

Upon receiving the complaint, Dr. Ashish Patel mediated a discussion between the juniors and the ragging seniors, urging that such complaints should not recur. However, three days later, the junior doctors reported the issue to the college dean, Dr. Deepti Shah, who then convened a medical college council meeting. The council discussed the ragging incidents and decided on appropriate punishments. Dr. Vraj Vaghani, Dr. Shivani Patel, Dr. Aneri Nayak, and Dr. Karankumar Parejiya were found guilty of imposing severe penalties on juniors, such as forbidding them from eating for seven days and making them repeatedly write a prescription 700 times, with further harassment for non-compliance.

Names of Suspended Doctors Over Ragging:

• Dr. Vraj Vaghani, suspended for two years
• Dr. Shivani Patel, suspended for one year
• Dr. Karankumar Parejiya, suspended for 25 days
• Dr. Aneri Nayak, suspended for 25 days

Government Filed an Affidavit in High Court Regarding Ragging Rules

Recently, the government filed an affidavit in the High Court concerning the rules on ragging in higher educational institutions across the state. The affidavit stated that the government has ordered the mandatory formation of ragging committees in every educational institution. In the new rules formulated on ragging, the government has also set regulations against the victims. If the victim does not file a complaint, a complaint will be filed against them as well.

High Court Took Suo Moto Action in Medical College Student’s Suicide Case

Following the suicide of a student due to ragging in a medical college, the High Court took suo moto action. The government has passed resolutions regarding the newly formulated rules. Action will also be taken against responsible officers who do not address complaints.

Two Years Imprisonment and Fine Up to 10,000 for Ragging

• Suspension from attending classes and academic privileges.
• Stopping scholarships, fellowships, and other benefits.
• Ban on appearing in any test/exam or other evaluation process.
• Withholding results or stopping them.
• Ban on representing the institution in any regional, national, or international meet, tournament, youth festival, etc.
• Cancellation of admission or rustication for 1 to 4 semesters.
• Suspension or expulsion from the hostel.
• Expulsion from the institution and ban on admission to any other institution for a specified period.
• Direct or indirect involvement in ragging will result in imprisonment for up to two years and a fine up to 10,000.
• Expulsion from the educational institution, with no admission to any other institution for five years from the date of expulsion.
• Universities may also face strict disciplinary actions.

Freshers to be Included in Anti-Ragging Committee

The Anti-Ragging Committee will be led by the head of the institution and will include faculty members, parents, freshers, senior students, and representatives from non-teaching staff. This committee will monitor anti-ragging activities within the institution. Recommendations from the Anti-Ragging Squad will be considered, and appropriate punishments for the culprits will be decided. The squad, led by the head, will include members from various campus sections. The main tasks will be vigilance, supervision, and patrolling. Mobile alerts will remain active at all times. The squad will have the authority to conduct raids in hostels and other hotspots and will investigate ragging incidents, making recommendations to the Anti-Ragging Committee, working under its full guidance. Additionally, there will be a monitoring cell for ragging.

Activities Considered as Ragging

Any aggressive or undisciplined activity by students causing harassment, hardship, or mental harm to a fresher or junior student, or creating fear or apprehension in them. Acting indecently with a fresher or any student. Physically or mentally harassing any student.