Ragging Menace: Kerala High Court Asks Working Group Constituted To Frame Prevention Rules To Meet And Devise Action Plan

"According to us, this working group should now hold a preliminary meeting in which further plan of action can be decided", a Bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice C. Jayachandran said.

The special bench was constituted to hear the petition filed by Kerala State Legal Service Authority (KeLSA) flagging the rising menace of ragging within the educational institutions in the State. The Court had previously directed the State to submit the draft composition of the Working Group before it.

Today, the State informed that the committee constituted will be chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department. It will also comprise of Principal Secretaries and Secretaries from various other departments, Law Secretary, representative from the police department, former Vice Chancellor, Registrar and professors of psychiatry from various universities.

Accordingly, the Court directed the Committee to conduct a preliminary meeting and decide its future plan of action. It has clarified that a representative of KeLSA shall be included in the preliminary meeting. Further, representative from the police department shall not be a person lesser in rank than an Inspector General. The Court also granted liberty to the Chairman to invite anyone to the meetings of group if he finds that their input is needed.

The case is next posted to 10^th April.

Case Title: Kerala State Legal Service Authority v Government of Kerala and Others

Case No: WP(C) 8600/ 2025