write a speech on ragging

Short Speech on Ragging in English for Students and Children

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3 Minute Speech on Ragging for School and College students

Good morning to our Respected Principal, teachers, and my dear friends. As we all have gathered today to celebrate this occasion, I would like to draw your attention towards an important issue rising these days in many organizations. I would like to speak on the topic- Ragging.

Ragging means abusing, humiliating or harassing the new entrants in a high school, college or any other institutes and organizations. This practice shakes the confidence of new students entering the new organization.

Sometimes this practice is done very lightly and in a friendly way where it is used for introducing each other. This way it creates a friendly atmosphere for the new people. But if this practice is done harshly by embarrassing someone or making someone do something beyond his or her will, then it becomes a matter of punishment.

The Supreme court of India has defined ragging as, ‘Any disorderly conduct whether by words spoken or written or by an act which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness any student, indulging in rowdy or indisciplined activities. It causes annoyance, hardship, psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in a fresher or a junior student.

Ragging is banned as sometimes it becomes so severe that it leads to physical injuries and development of fear of psychosis. If any one faces ragging anywhere, he/she should inform the head of the institution in order to control this act. One should not tolerate this violation of human rights.

In the end, I would like to say that I am very happy to be a part of this reputed school where I have never witnessed ragging. Instead, I have always found my seniors as a guiding light and very supportive of anything we want to learn from them. I hope you never face such an unkind act in your life and in case you do, now you know what you should do.

Thank you very much.

Questions on Ragging

What are the effects of ragging.

The victims suffer depression, isolation, demoralisation, deterimental effect on personality. Constant fear and tension in the mind of every students led to poor performance in curriculum.  There are also the case of suicide due to ragging.

How can we stop ragging?

Ragging is a offence and punishable under various laws. Here few suggestion how to stop ragging in campus.

College Management should follow the stringent rules, faculty should be vigilant, there should be committee where one can file complain. There should be awarness programmee to discourage this culture.

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Essay on “Ragging: A Menace” for Kids and Students, English Essay, Paragraph, Speech for Class 8, 9, 10, 12, College and Competitive Exams.

Ragging: A Menace

“The Supreme Court defined ragging in following words : “Any disorderly conduct whether by words spoken or written or by an act which has the effect of disturbing, threatening or handling with rudeness any other student indulging in rowdy or indisciplined activities which causes or likely bring about annoyance, hardship or psychological harm or to raise fear of apprehension thereof in a fresher or a junior student or asking the student to do any act or perform something which such students will not do in the ordinary course and which has the impact of causing or generating a sense of shame or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of a fresher or a junior student.”

The apex court has taken into consideration, while defining ragging all sorts of acts faced by a fresher or a junior while subjecting to ragging by the seniors.

Ragging has been a menace, cause of fear and shock not only for a fresher but to his parents too who are sending the loved ones for pursuing higher education by investing a lot of hard earned money. Many intellectual youth have sacrificed their life because of ragging, some lost a nervous breakdown, some left the institutes after being suffered of ragging, some have committed suicide and some were killed by the seniors on the pretext of ragging.

The court, the authorities, the principal and every concern, have called the ragging a heinous practice, but a very paradoxical situation is, it still persists in spite of all the rules, regulations and directives of course and authorities. None could claim to have stopped it 100%.

The most gruesome incidence of ragging came into light in Nov. 1986, when Navarasu, a 17 years old first year medical student of Annamalai University, Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu, was brutally, murdered by a senior named ‘David’ who was said to be a karate expert. He killed Navarasu because he denied to submit to his whims of ragging. In Aug 2003, an engineering student of Engineering college, Jalpaiguri in West Bengal was admitted to hospital after he was subjected to night long brutal ragging by his seniors. The victim was beaten up with iron rods and cycle chains for denying to strip before the seniors.

The government, central as well as states, have taken positive steps again to curb this practice. In 1997, the HRD Minister, Mr. S.R. Bommai, appraised the Rajya Sabha that steps were being taken to ensure that those found guilty of ragging can be treated as guilty of gross misconduct and subsequently, the penalty of rustication or removal from the rolls of the universities could be imposed on the offenders. He also informed in the house that instruction have been issued to the universities and institutions and the state governments to take stern action to stop this menace and to invoke the provisions of law if required.

A few years ago, the Governor of Kerala, promulgated the “Kerala prohibition of Ragging Ordinance” seeking to prohibit ragging in educational institutions in the state. The Supreme Court while dealing a public interest in 2001 said the failure to prevent ragging by the management would mean an act of negligence in maintaining discipline in the institution The principal and other authority will be liable to face action in case a student is subjected to ragging. The Supreme Court further directed that “If an institution fails to curb ragging the UGC/funding agency may consider stoppage of financial assistance to such an institution tills such time it implements the anti ragging norms”. Though the Surpeme Court has also issued very strict and stringent guidelines to stop the menace of ragging yet a-point to ponder is why the students resort to such heinous practice, after all these so called seniors are also from a decent home and belongs to the intellectual group of students of the nation.

Why do few resort to such socially unacceptable behaviour? Why the so called seniors do not look upon the problems of their own juniors and subjecting them to such intolerable inhumane acts?

A serious thought if given to the above questions, we find that our present education system is intended to create intelligentsia, but they are absolutely lacking the moral and ethical values. We do not teach our students, philanthropic and moral values.

There is no place for ethics in our education; we are just teaching them the materialistic value importance of money. Result has become’ meaningless. How alone the students are to blame, for such acts? Teachers and parents are also equally responsible for they are unable to cultivate in a good citizen. Academic qualification alone is of no value. If education does not teach students to share the problems of others to love all serve all, it would become meaningless.

It shall be fundamental to quote the following words of a great thinker that

If money is lost, nothing is lost If health is lost, something is lost If character is lost, everything is lost.

To prevent the menace of ragging it is but compulsory to inculcate among the students, importance of good character, importance of love and affection towards their juniors and fellow beings.

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• v.41(2); 2009 Apr

Ragging: Let's say NO to it

Chetna desai.

Department of Pharmacology, BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad 380016, India. E-mail: moc.liamg@99antehc

On 7 th March 2009, Aman Kachroo, 19, a first-year undergraduate student of Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College complained to his parents about the brutal ragging on campus by completely drunk third-year students. He was beaten so badly that he died of brain hemorrhage. Sadly this was not the first such episode in an educational center in India. Amit Sahai, Durgesh Shukla, Manjot Singh, Chetan Raj, SP Manoj, C Abraham, Azad Nair, Kamlesh Sarkar, Mohan Karthik Tripathy are among the many victims of this sadistic and unhealthy practice carried out in name of “socializing” and “getting to know each other”! This is an obituary to that tender 19-year-old soul and several others who have become victims of ragging.

Ragging is a form of abuse of newcomers to educational institutions in several countries. It is similar to the American form, known as hazing, but is much more severe. Legally speaking ragging is an act which causes, or is likely to cause physical, psychological or physiological harm or apprehension or shame or embarrassment to a student. It includes teasing, abusing or playing practical jokes or causing hurt to any student or asking them to do any act, or perform anything which he/she would not, in the ordinary course, be willing to do. It started in its mild form in the 8th century AD during the Olympics in Greece. Later the armed forces of several countries and several student organizations in Europe and the USA started practicing this ritual. During World War I ragging underwent a massive transformation. Students who returned from the war and rejoined college brought with them the techniques of severe ragging practiced in army camps.

Ragging has reportedly caused at least 30-31 deaths in the last seven years in India, not all of which are those of freshers. C Lalitha, mother of Mukesh, ended her life due to the controversy surrounding the sexual abuse of her son during ragging. Three of the ragging deaths were those of seniors: two seniors were killed by a first-year student when he was being ragged; one senior ended his life when he was punished for ragging. With privatization of higher education in Indianone, academic institutions in India have been experiencing increasing raggingnone-related excesses.

There are certain myths associated with ragging. These myths have “glorified” and justified ragging. For example a popular myth is that ragging makes a student bold and prepares him for the difficult circumstances in life. The fact is that it is a weak acceptance of fate by the victim. It encourages exploitation and encourages non-resistant acceptance. It is also believed that ragging helps in breaking the ice between the seniors and freshers. It helps in their interaction and developing friendship between them. However, there can be more effective, enjoyable and healthy ways of interacting! The consequences of ragging are many. Freshers under severe stress may leave the system, or may suffer from serious psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress disorders. Occasionally, there may be physical injury, and some may even commit suicide. Promising careers are nipped in the bud.

Students are expected to cultivate the habit of understanding, sympathy and tolerance. Seniors are expected to guide the junior students to good campus life and must support them during their initial days. Instead there is a show of arrogance and supremacy over juniors. This arrogance, anger and hooliganism is not expected from the students. If such a character is carried over to professions, the society will suffer in the long run. The malaise, if not cured, may grow into a chronic incurable disease.

Educational institutes must take measures to sensitize students on the hazards of ragging. A policy of ‘Zero Tolerance” on ragging is essential. All students need to have a “Ragging Free” record as a prerequisite for completing their academic qualifications, for awards and for contesting college elections etc.

In India, resistance against ragging has grown only recently. Several states have passed legislation banning ragging, and the Hon'ble Supreme Court of Indianone has taken a firm stand to curb it. It has been declared a “criminal offence”. Spontaneous anti-ragging movements spearheaded by certain voluntary organizations have begun. These organizations conduct drives for public awareness and arrange for support to victims. Online groups like Coalition to Uproot Ragging from India (CURE), Stopragging and No Ragging Foundation are some of these. Among them, the No Ragging Foundation has transformed into a Non Government Organization and is registered as Society Against Violence in Education (SAVE), which is India's first registered antiragging nonprofit organization. These are the initiatives that could help curb ragging in the long run.

Parents must also take some responsibility and encourage their children to report any such incident immediately so that they can take up the issue with the management and prevent any tragic untoward outcome. Also they could counsel their wards to refrain from ragging.

Let there be “Aman” (peace). Aman lives and he is not dead for those people who bravely oppose ragging in campuses across India. Let there be an awakening in his name, bringing peace to those future students who will then fearlessly study in colleges.

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RGUHS Nat. J. Pub. Heal. Sci Vol No: 9  Issue No: 1 eISSN: 2584-0460 pISSN:

Ragging in Educational Institutions and its implications on the students

Dr Selvi Thangaraj 

Professor, Department of Community Medicine,

Bengaluru Medical College and Research Institute,

E-mail ID: [email protected]

• 1 FullTextPDF Download

Ragging is the term used for the “Initiation Ritual” practiced in higher educational institutions. It is a very touchy subject and a dreaded word. It involves abuse, humiliation or harassment of new entrants or junior students by the senior students. The students feel that it is a tool of social interaction and thus helps their juniors to break the ice with their seniors. The first recorded case of ragging was in eighth century BC, during the Olympics in Greece. It is still practiced all over the world.

Ragging is a rampant practice in colleges, hostels and sometimes even in high schools. Seniors, in the form of ragging, demoralize and defame the juniors. Ragging can be in the form of physical and verbal abuse. It also gives a sense of superiority to the seniors who rag their juniors. It is a disturbing reality and a disorderly conduct. Perpetuating factors for ragging include substance abuse, especially in the hostels, lack of implementation of strict anti-ragging measures in educational institutions.

It can be in the form of teasing or handling the students with rudeness often creating fear and apprehension in the victims. The victims suffer in the form of depression, demoralization, isolation and other detrimental effects on their personality. Sometimes feeling depressed can lead them to even commit suicide. Ragging causes physical, emotional and behavioral effects on students and creates negative feelings in them. It is a public health problem as it involves physical, mental and social exploitation. It not only affects the individuals, but also their family and in turn the whole society.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development under the Department of Higher Education, Government of India has reiterated the ban on ragging of students in Institutions of Higher Learning, despite which, ragging is still continuing to be an unfortunate practice in most of the institutions. After all that has been done to prevent ragging by the government, universities and colleges should implement some measures to fight this menace like rustication from the institution, withholding or withdrawal of scholarships, fellowships and results to name a few. Colleges can employ a counselor, because many times the students fail to reveal their ordeal to their parents, but can open up to qualified personnel who can also guide them in a proper way. The counselors can also motivate the students to be empathetic towards their juniors and newcomers. 

Opportunities should be provided to promote healthy interactions between senior and junior students by hosting various activities, which help the students to break the ice. An anti-ragging squad can be formed in the campus constituting representatives from students as well as teachers, to deal with any untoward incidents pertaining to ragging. The college administration, students and teachers should gung-ho to fight this social evil.

“Ragging in any form is punishable. Let us not be mute spectators, but join hands to make our educational institution campuses ragging free.” 

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• Mental Health

Rage against ragging: Why this unwelcome way to welcome needs to STOP

Vivid memories of the first day of college live on. The excitement of stepping into a new, crucial phase of life was at its peak. But so was a nail-biting nervousness over the ragging we could face. We were a motley group of freshers trying to escape the prying eyes of seniors who were looking out for their ‘preys’ on Day 1! But we failed. Our ordeal ended only once we danced publicly in a marketplace. In hindsight, I’d say we were lucky. Not many face the same fate when they transition from a cocooned and protective school environment into the more competitive college milieu. They face worse. The perils of ragging are once again in the spotlight after an 18-year-old Odisha girl left behind a suicide note, claiming depression arising out of ragging and torture by her seniors.

Ragging has earned its share of notoriety and more as an unwelcome practice to welcome a new set of students to college life. The ugly face of ragging and its impact on mental health have been far too pronounced in the recent past. Just three months ago, a first-year MBBS student of Haryana died by suicide after facing alleged torture by his seniors.

In India, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has been making strides to curb the menace of ragging in higher education institutions across the nation, with a 24*7 anti-ragging helpline, an online process for submission of complaints, and more.

Still, 2021 media reports citing UGC data claim a total of 2,790 complaints had been reported since 2018.

What is ragging?

Ragging, according to the UGC, is defined as any conduct whether by words spoken or written or by an act which:

* Has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness any other student * Indulging in rowdy or undisciplined activities or which is likely to cause anyone annoyance, hardship or psychological harm * Raising fear or apprehension in a fresher or a junior student * Asking the students to do any act or perform something which such student will not do in the ordinary course * Urging students to do any act which causes or generates a sense of shame of embarrassment * Adversely affecting the physique or psyche of a fresher or student.

Yet, cases of ragging occur, dimming the light of bright and young minds in college. Ragging can leave the mind with a dent, whether it is through psychological or physical torture.

The latest incident spurred even Olympian Dutee Chand to make a startling revelation about being a victim of ragging. In an interview, she has spoken about how seniors during her stay at the Sports Hostel in Bhubaneswar from 2006-08, harassed her.

“ Didis (seniors) used to force me to massage their bodies and wash their clothes at the Sports Hostel,” she told PTI, adding how she even faced adverse comments on her finances. And when she complained, she herself faced the brunt.

“It used to take a mental toll on me. I was helpless at that time,” Chand added.

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How can ragging impact mental health?

Ragging, when it becomes a humiliating, degrading, aggressive and negative experience, can impact an individual’s mental health in many ways, says senior psychologist Dr Kamna Chhibber.

A specialist in handling mental health cases related to relationships, trauma and abuse, she tells Health Shots, “Ragging can affect moods, lead to anxiousness, negatively impact the (concept of) self of the individual, make them feel worthless and helpless, cause experiences of insomnia and disturbed sleep patterns.”

Additionally, facing the horrors of insensitive ragging can also impact the ways in which an individual may approach college life, causing them to be “tentative and apprehensive in place of experiencing the joy and happiness” of going through a new and different phase of life.

Even bullying at workplace needs to be taken seriously.

How to deal with ragging?

Yes, ragging can be debilitating, but awareness and preparedness can sometimes be the armour you may need.

1. Awareness

“As a young person it is important to approach such situations with an understanding and knowledge of what redressal mechanisms are available to be able to tackle an uncomfortable situation in the college,” explains Dr Chhibber.

Secondly, it is important not to shield the bullies because of a cloud of fear on your head.

“Talking about and sharing what the experiences are is crucial so that if there is a traumatic experience, the coping is not compromised. This will also help the person to engage in healthy ways of working through the situation,” the expert suggests.

“It is important to focus on what you can control and accept the emotional experiences that you would have,” she adds.

Also read: Are you hiding your feelings? You may be harming yourself more

3. Lean on your support system

Most importantly, build and maintain a support system that helps you manage yourself and your experiences. Your parents, your siblings and your friends are always your inner circle and you should be open to them about any issues you face in life.

The last word

Ragging is a social evil that needs to be uprooted. People need to stop indulging in ragging even under the veil of a ‘fun induction’ because it has crossed the threshold and instilled a sense of fear among people. Let fresh minds get stronger, not weaker!

Radhika Bhirani is a journalist with close to 15 years of experience in the Indian media industry. After writing extensively on health, lifestyle and entertainment, she leads the English content team at Health Shots. She has a special interest in writing on mental health and wellness. ... Read More

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How to deal with ragging? A guideline on what students, institutions should do

The students can directly approach the anti-ragging helpline through call or email. candidates can dial the anti-ragging helpline at 1800-180-5522 or in cases of emergency call on +91 9818 044 577..

In view of the recent incidents of ragging in Vellore and Hyderabad where students were seen being assaulted by their fellow students or seniors, it is natural that freshers could be worried about any such untoward incident happening to them. Here’s what you can do if you face any ragging related issues in their universities or colleges:

– The National Anti-Ragging Helpline is a 24×7 toll free helpline for students in distress. The students can call at 1800-180-5522

– The students can also email the Anti-Ragging Helpline at [email protected]

– In cases of emergencies, students can contact Centre for Youth (the UGC monitoring agency) on its mobile number +91 98180 44577

– The students can also visit the UGC website – ugc.ac.in and antiragging.in for more information regarding ragging.

What is defined as ‘ragging’?

– Any conduct by a student or group of students where words spoken, written or an act has the effect of teasing, treating or handling someone with rudeness.

– A student or group of students indulging in rowdy or indiscipline activities causing annoyance, hardship, physical or psychological harm, raise fear or apprehension to other students

– Asking any student to do an act that generates a sense of shame, torment or embarrassment adversely affecting the physique or psyche of a student

– Any act by a senior student that would prevent, disrupts or disturbs the regular academic activity of any student

– Exploiting services of a student for completing academic tasks assigned

– Any act of financial extortion or forceful expenditure burden put on other students by students

– Any act of physical abuse: sexual abuse, homosexual assaults, stripping, forcing obscene and lewd acts, gestures, causing any kind of bodily harm or any other danger to health or person

– Any act of abuse by spoken words, emails, posts, or public insults which would also include deriving perverted pleasure, vicarious or sadistic thrill from actively or passively participating in the discomfiture to any student

– Any act that affects the mental health and self-confidence of any student.

What happens to students found guilty?

There are several actions that can be taken by a head of an institution against ragging incidents. First, they should determine if the case falls under penal laws or not. If it does, either the head themselves or through a member of the Anti-Ragging Committee should file an FIR within 24 hours of receiving the receipt with the police or local authorities. There are 15 penal provisions under which a case can be filed.

If any student is found guilty of ragging, the institution shall punish the student depending on the facts, nature and gravity of each incident. The punishment can range from suspension from attending classes to expulsion from the institution and subsequent debarring from admission to any other institution.

What happens to colleges if incidents of ragging are found on campus?

Any incidents of ragging will adversely affect the institution’s accreditation, ranking or grading by NAAC or any other authorised accreditation agency.

Roles and responsibilities of the UGC

The UGC has to undertake certain responsibilities such as informing the head of any institution, warden of hostels and nodal officers of the affiliated university, and the concerned district authorities if required as soon as they receive a distress call. The Commission shall maintain an appropriate database to create affidavits, it should be affirmed by the students and their parents and it should be stored electronically. And, in order to build confidence in the public, the database shall be made available to a non-governmental agency to be nominated by the Centre.

All institutions have been asked by the UGC to add a mandatory column in the admission form pertaining to Anti Ragging Undertaking Reference number . Also, they are supposed to fill online compliance on antiragging.in .

The UGC has asked the institutions to make it compulsory for every student and parent to submit an undertaking at antiragging.in. The revised procedure for students to file online anti-ragging affidavits has to be implemented by the institutions. An email with the registration number will be sent to the student, who in turn will forward that email to the nodal office in their university.

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23.Class 11 & 12 Short Essay and Article on : Ragging-An Evil

Ragging has raised its ugly head again. A recent incident at a prestigious school has shown that this evil has not yet come to an end. Write an article on “Ragging – An Evil”. You are Navtej/Navita.

Ans.                                                                        Ragging-An Evil

Ragging refers to an act that violates the dignity of a person. There are many complaints of physical and psychological injury due to ragging in educational institutions. It is a matter of shame that even though ragging has been criticized for decades, we still come across such incidents of inhuman torture. A recent incident of ragging at a prestigious school has shocked the entire city.

 It is a pity that the practice has been going on for decades and the victims of last year become the perpetrators this year. These instances only see the daylight when a student commits suicide due to inhuman behaviour and it gets reported in the media. Though ragging in schools is still not as bad as ragging that takes place in colleges. Schools do provide a safe environment where teachers, parents and even student council bodies are engaged in anti-ragging campaigns and thus it prevents ragging from taking an ugly form. However, in collages when students are exposed to the real world with no protected environment or the involvement of teachers and parents, ragging takes its ugliest form, where senior students use force, ask for unsuitable demands, including sexual favours by their juniors which result in suicides or even campus murders. However, ragging is not limited to schools and colleges but it is an issue that the entire society needs to deal with. The mindset of ‘powerful has the right to force the weak’ is the basis of ragging which is a social evil, as it leads to disintegration and differences within society.

This issue can be dealt with only when we make society more sensitive towards each other and also empower students not to be victimized but raise their voice in the face of ragging in any form.

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Write a Letter to the Editor about Ragging in Educational Institutions

In today’s article, I am going to show you how to write a letter to the editor about ragging in educational institutions. Hopefully, the following examples are going to help you to compose editorial letters on a similar topic. So try not to skip any and read them thoroughly. Now let’s begin.

Question: Ragging causes severe mental health issues in students. Write a letter to the editor about ragging in educational institutions in about 120-150 words.

Hints: Description of ragging- Effects on students- Colleges having counsellor- Importance to mental health- Punishment for the wrongdoers

19, College Street  Kolkata 600089

June 20, 2021

The Editor The Telegraph Kolkata

Subject: Students going through mental trauma for ragging

With this letter of mine, I would like to express my views about ragging in educational institutions and its impacts on students’ minds. I shall be highly obliged if I am given a little space in your esteemed daily.

Ragging is an unethical practice. Although it is banned in all educational institutions there are still some students who continue with this unacceptable practice. Ragging is mostly done in colleges by senior students. A student is forced to perform certain tasks against their will. Sometimes these tasks can be of extreme nature and can have various mental effects on a student. Many students suffer from severe trauma after an unpleasant incident like this.

Some students have taken a long time to come back to their natural self after being a victim of ragging. Ragging must be completely banned and should not be encouraged under any circumstances. All educational institutions must have a counselor and mental health cell where students can freely talk about their feelings. They should be provided the necessary support in tough times like these. 

I hope my concern will make authorities think about giving mental health a priority and our students will get rid of any such trauma with proper guidance. 

Yours sincerely, Suman Pal

Question: Write a letter to the editor of a daily newspaper expressing your concern about the harmful effects of ragging on the students.

Hints: An old unethical practice- Students expects co-operation in college- Physical and Mental tortures are never acceptable- College authority must take strict stapes.

19, Lakeview Road Delhi 500078

June 19, 2021

The Editor The Hindu Delhi

Subject: Ragging is unethical and unacceptable

I’m writing this letter to express my views against ragging in educational institutions through the space of your esteemed daily. 

Ragging has been a practice for overs years now in many academic institutions. This practice is completely unethical and unacceptable. No student has the right to torture any other students physically or mentally and make them do things against their will. A student steps into a college for the first time to explore a new world of their life. Students are supposed to enjoy and get co-operative seniors in their college life.

However, due to this unethical practice, many students go through severe trauma and some might never get rid of those bitter memories in their heads. So, the college authorities must frame strict rules against ragging in order to completely eradicate such brutal practices from their colleges. Surveys have revealed how ragging has caused depression and sometimes severe physical injury to many freshers. Some students even have been compelled to leave a particular college because of such unhealthy experiences. Through your esteemed daily, I want to earnestly request the college authorities to conduct special seminars for students and teach them about appropriate and ethical behavior. 

I sincerely hope my voice will be heard and may any student in the future will no more have to suffer from ragging.

Yours sincerely, Gautam Kapoor

Question: To control ragging in educational institutions strict rules must be adopted. Write a letter to the editor about ragging in educational institutions and suggest measures to prevent it. 

Hints: Supervisors reporting incidents immediately- Safe space for students to share- Punishing the students for their mistakes- Workshops to teach lessons

6, Safdarjung Road New Delhi

July 18, 2021

The Editor The Deccan Herald Chennai    

Subject: Strict rules for ragging

Today, I’m writing this letter to express my concerns regarding ragging in educational institutions and want to suggest some measures to prevent this. I shall feel honored if I get allowed a little space in your distinguished daily. 

Many colleges have already put strict enforcement of anti-ragging regulations to present this extremely inappropriate practice. Still, in various institutions of the country, this notorious practice by a few students causes trauma in a large number of innocent students every year. That’s why just a ban is not enough to eradicate ragging. Students who commit such mistakes must be suspended and if required must be rusticated from colleges.

There should be a supervising authoritative body to look after such matters and report immediately if any such unpleasant activities happen within the institution premises and hostel arena. Also, students who have suffered this must be given a safe space to share their experiences and lodge official complaints to the college authorities. Besides, behavioral workshops must be conducted during the first year of college to help students learning the deep impact of ragging and its various consequences. 

I sincerely hope authorities would adopt strict preventive measures as soon as possible to stop ragging in academic institutions. Our dream should always be to provide the students with a healthy atmosphere for learning.

Yours sincerely, Komal Kaur

Question: Ragging is not fun at all, rather it has severe consequences. Write a letter to the editor of an English daily about the ill practices of ragging in educational institutions.

Hints: Mental and physical trauma- Anxiety, stress, depression- Impact on studies- Forced to quit college- Need for immediate actions 

30, M.G Road Delhi 60089

The Editor The Hindustan Times New Delhi

Subject: Various consequences of ragging

With this letter in your esteemed daily, I would like to voice my opinion about the various consequences of ragging in educational institutions.

Many students do not understand the serious consequences of ragging. Rather most of them still dismiss it being as fun and a part of the entertainment. They fail to understand how severely ragging impacts the affected students. Ragging can be severe and sometimes it goes beyond control. Sometimes students are even forced to cut their hair or perform various other unpleasant activities. This causes acute stress in the student both physically and mentally.

These stresses are causing self-doubt, anger issues, depression, and other detrimental effects on the students’ health. Some reports have also found that students go through a long period of severe anxiety after being a victim of ragging. This anxiety can eventually result in insomnia and other physical problems which have a direct impact on the studies. Even many bright students become unable to deal with the trauma of ragging and sometimes have to quit college or eventually have poor academic results. If stricter rules are not enforced right now, the future of such students will be at stake. 

I really hope that my genuine concerns will be considered with due importance and will unnerve the conscience of the students as well as the authorities. 

Yours sincerely, Gaurav Taneja

In this session, I’ve tried to teach you how to write a letter to the editor about ragging in educational institutions. Hopefully, I have covered all the relevant points and you found it helpful. Feel free to add your own thoughts. Be sure to maintain the formal tone and language of editorial letters. We have an array of topics on our website, do check them out, and don’t forget to come back for more. 

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Office of the President

• For the Media

Our commitment to campus safety, peaceful assembly, and civil discourse

Dear Members of the Yale Community,

I write regarding the protests on Hewitt Quadrangle (Beinecke Plaza) and other parts of campus. These protests have grown significantly over the weekend, and some members of the broader community have joined our students.

Faculty and staff have been providing the students resources for free expression, health, and well-being, and have made clear that the university supports free speech and civil discourse. At the same time, we are focused intently on campus safety and maintaining university operations and the full use of university facilities, which support the work we all do to advance teaching, learning, research, and scholarship.

Yale College and graduate school deans and other university leaders have spoken multiple times with students participating in the protests to make clear university policies and guidelines , including the importance of maintaining open passageways in the event of a fire or other emergencies, the role of the university’s postering and chalking policy in fostering the exchange of ideas, and the need to allow other members of the community to use campus spaces. Putting up structures, defying the directives of university officials, staying in campus spaces past allowed times, and other acts that violate university policies and guidelines create safety hazards and impede the work of our university. We are continuing to speak with students who are participating in protests, so they understand the disciplinary consequences of actions that violate Yale’s policies. Yale will pursue disciplinary actions according to its policies.

Many of the students participating in the protests, including those conducting counterprotests, have done so peacefully. However, I am aware of reports of egregious behavior, such as intimidation and harassment, pushing those in crowds, removal of the plaza flag, and other harmful acts. Yale does not tolerate actions, including remarks, that threaten, harass, or intimidate members of the university’s Jewish, Muslim, and other communities. The Yale Police Department is investigating each report, and we will take action when appropriate, including making referrals for student discipline. We are providing support to affected students.

We do not agree on everything, but we all have a responsibility to do our part in fostering a community in which we can have open, civil discussions about any topic, no matter how complex and how difficult. As members of a university committed to learning and the search for truth, we can do no less.

Each of us deserves to be heard and to have the chance to speak. To that end, I have listened to many members of our community in recent weeks, and I understand that some disagree with the Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility’s (ACIR’s) decision to not recommend a policy of divestment from military weapons manufacturers. The ACIR—a committee of faculty, students, staff, and alumni—arrived at this conclusion after hearing from student presenters and engaging in careful deliberation. This is part of a formal process and relies on the university’s guide to ethical investing that has served Yale well for decades. Any member of the Yale community is invited to write to the ACIR or to attend future open meetings. There are available pathways to continue this discussion with openness and civility, and I urge those with suggestions to follow them.

At a time when so many in the world are suffering and when so many lives have been cut short cruelly by violence, we must stand firmly against hatred and recommit ourselves to engaging in civil discourse free from intimidation or coercion. As I have said to all of you, we must hold tight to our common values. Now more than ever, we must commit to working together with compassion and understanding.

Peter Salovey President Chris Argyris Professor of Psychology

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Salman Rushdie warns young people against forgetting value of free speech

Author also discusses prospect of second Trump presidency and writing about his stabbing in launch event for his book Knife

Salman Rushdie has warned young people against forgetting the value of free speech and discussed the “very big and negative” impact of a second Trump presidency in a rare public appearance since his stabbing.

The Indian-born British-American author of books including the Satanic Verses and Midnight’s Children also discussed the attack in 2022 that left him blind in one eye during a Q&A at an English PEN event at the Southbank Centre .

“I have a very old-fashioned view about [free speech],” said Rushdie, appearing by video from his home in New York to mark the launch of his new memoir, Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder . “The defence of free expression begins at the point at which somebody says something you don’t like.

“It’s a very simple thing, but it’s being forgotten. That is what’s enshrined in the first amendment … In the US, you feel there’s a younger generation that’s kind of forgetting the value of that. Often, for reasons they would believe to be virtuous, they’re prepared to suppress kinds of speech with which they don’t sympathise. It’s a slippery slope. And look out, because the person slipping down that slope could be you.”

Rushdie said academia in America was “in serious trouble … because of colossal political divisions. And everybody is so angry that it seems very difficult to find a common place.”

The Booker-prize-winning author, whose books have been translated into more than 40 languages, discussed the prospect of a second Trump presidency with the author and critic Erica Wagner and encouraged young people in the US to “not make the mistake of not voting”.

He said: “The impact would be very big and negative. He’d be worse a second time around, because he’d be unleashed and vengeful. All he talks about is revenge. And that’s a bad policy platform, that you want to be president to deal revenge against your enemies.

“In New York, people had got the point of Donald Trump long before he ever tried to run for office. Everybody knew that he was a buffoon and a liar. And unfortunately, America had to find out the hard way. I just hope they don’t fall for it again.”

Rushdie was about to give a talk at the Chautauqua Institution in New York state on 12 August 2022 when a man rushed on stage and stabbed him about 10 times. “I saw the man in black running toward me down the right-hand side of the seating area,” he recalls in his new book . The writer was hospitalised for six weeks.

On Sunday, he said he hadn’t been able to think about writing for six months, but then it struck him that it would be “ludicrous” to write about anything else.

He described the difficulty of penning the first chapter, “in which I have to describe in some detail the exact nature of the attack. It was very hard to do.”

Knife, the writer said, was the “only book I’ve ever written with the help of a therapist. It gave me back control of the narrative. Instead of being a man lying on the stage with a pool of blood, I’m a man writing a book about a man live on stage with a pool of blood. That felt good.”

Rushdie also spoke about the postponement of the trial of his attacker, Hadi Matar . He said Matar’s not-guilty plea was “an absurdity” and that he would testify at any future trial. “It doesn’t bother me to be in the courtroom with him. It should bother him.”

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In Knife, Matar is not named, but referred to as “the A”. Rushdie said he was inspired by a Margaret Thatcher line about “wanting to deny the terrorists what she called the oxygen of publicity. That phrase stuck in my head. I thought, ‘This guy had his 27 seconds of fame. And now he should go back to being nobody.’

“I use this initial A because I thought there were many things he was: a would-be assassin, an assailant, an adversary … an ass.”

However, Rushdie said, “the most interesting” part of the book to write was the 30 pages of imagined dialogue between him and his attacker.

“I actually wanted to meet him and ask him some questions. Then I read about this incident where Samuel Beckett was the victim of a knife attack in Paris by a pimp. He went to the man’s trial, and at the end of it said to him: ‘Why did you do it?’ And the only thing the man said was: ‘I don’t know, I’m sorry.’ I thought: if I actually were to meet this guy, I would get some banality.”

So Rushdie decided it would “be better to try to imagine myself” into the head of a person who chose to attack a stranger despite reading “no more than two pages of something I’d written”.

‘There is in my mind an absence in his story,” he said. “This is somebody who was 24 years old. He must have known that he was going to be wrecking his life as well as mine, and yet he was willing to commit murder. He’s somebody with no previous criminal record and not on any kind of terrorism watch list. Just a kid in Fairview, New Jersey. And to go from that to murder is a very big jump.”

• Salman Rushdie
• Southbank Centre

More on this story

Knife by Salman Rushdie review – a life interrupted

‘Why didn’t I fight? Why didn’t I run?’: 10 things we learned from Salman Rushdie’s Knife

Knife by Salman Rushdie review – a story of hatred defeated by love

‘I can’t explain it’: Salman Rushdie says his survival in knife attack was a miracle

Salman Rushdie has lost sight in one eye and use of one hand, says agent

Drastic rethink of security likely in wake of Salman Rushdie attack

Salman Rushdie’s grave fears for Indian democracy published in PEN anthology

Iran denies role in Salman Rushdie attack but claims author is to blame

Salman Rushdie ‘road to recovery has begun’ but ‘will be long,’ agent says

If we don’t defend free speech, we live in tyranny: Salman Rushdie shows us that

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Watch CBS News

Pro-Palestinian valedictorian speaks out after USC cancels speech

By Kerry Breen

April 17, 2024 / 12:48 PM EDT / CBS News

The University of Southern California valedictorian whose planned graduation speech was canceled due to what the school referred to as safety concerns told CBS News that she feels "betrayed" by the academic institution. 

Asna Tabassum, 22, majored in biomedical engineering and has a minor in "Resistance to Genocide," an interdisciplinary series of courses that researches the "causes, results and representations of attempted genocide, as well as resistance to genocidal mass violence," according to USC's website . 

Critics said Tabassum shared social media posts that promoted "antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric," and highlighted a link in her public Instagram profile to a website that refers to Zionism, a movement that calls for the development and protection of a Jewish state, as a "racist settler-colonial ideology."  

Tabassum, who is Muslim and pro-Palestinian, said the link was from years ago, and told CBS News' Carter Evans her social media accounts have always been private. 

"I'm not apologizing for the link that I put in my Instagram. What I am saying is that I'm committed to human rights. And I'm committed to the human rights for all people," Tabassum said. "A lot of the campaign against me has been, for example, claiming that I don't value the life of Jews. That's simply not true." 

In a statement released through the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Los Angeles, Tabassum said she has been subject to a "campaign of racist hatred" from "anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices" because of her "uncompromising belief in human rights for all." 

Tabassum told CBS News that her opinions about the world are informed by what she learned from her USC courses, including the "Resistance to Genocide" minor. She said she was honored when, two weeks ago, she was chosen to speak at the school's commencement ceremony, and said she planned to share a "core message" of "hope." However, just days later, the offer was rescinded. 

USC provost Andrew Guzman said social media discussions regarding Tabassum's selection "had taken on an alarming tenor" and "escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security," prompting the cancelation. About 65,000 people are expected to attend the commencement ceremony in May.

"While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety," Guzman wrote in a message to the university community. "This decision is not only necessary to maintain the safety of our campus and students, but is consistent with the fundamental legal obligation — including the expectations of federal regulators — that universities act to protect students and keep our campus community safe." 

Tabassum said that she had not "received any physical threats," but "won't discount the amount of hatred" she has seen online. However, she told CBS News that she "was never given the evidence that any safety concerns and that any security concerns were founded." 

"I think anyone who's watching this ... can draw their own conclusion," Tabassum said. "I look at what I look like, I am who I am. I stand up for what I stand for."  

In his letter, Guzman said that the school's decision has "nothing to do with freedom of speech." 

"There is no free-speech entitlement to speak at a commencement," he wrote. "The issue here is how best to maintain campus security and safety, period." 

Tabassum said she disagreed with Guzman's statement. 

"It's expression, it's academic discourse," Tabassum said. "And in many ways, it is speech that is being stifled."

• University of Southern California
• Palestinians
• Antisemitism

Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

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Britain can position itself in dangerous era thanks to defence spending commitment

We can accelerate efforts to implement lessons from war in Ukraine and prepare against possible threats from Iran and China

Since becoming Chief of the Defence Staff of the British Armed Forces, I have grown accustomed to sleeping with two mobile phones next to my bed, but it is still an unwelcome surprise when the secret handset judders into life in the small hours of the morning.

Ten days ago, I was woken with the news that Iran had attacked Israel . Our intelligence had warned us that strikes were imminent, but the scale – hundreds of ballistic and cruise missiles, and attack drones – was truly astonishing.

These are worrying times. The world has moved from being competitive to contested and is now openly combative.

A wise general once offered me a piece of advice that has stayed with me ever since. In times of uncertainty and crisis, it is the job of senior military leaders to reassure the nation and stiffen its resolve.

We should be confident that our strategy for the volatility we see in the world is the right one. The United Kingdom is safe because we are a nuclear power, because we belong to Nato – the world’s strongest defensive alliance – and because the men and women of the Armed Forces are ready and able to act.

The reason British jets joined those of the United States, France and others in defending Israel was to prevent the conflict with Hamas escalating toward all-out war.

The reason that the British Army has trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers is because it is in our national and collective interests to see Putin fail.

Last year, we evacuated British citizens from Sudan , deployed the Army on peacekeeping duties in Kosovo , and sent a ship to reassure Guyana in the wake of Venezuela’s expansionist rhetoric.

The British Armed Forces have stepped up to meet all that is asked of us – and more.

Accelerate trajectory of recent years

It’s not always simple or straightforward. The world is messy. The results aren’t always apparent. The task never ends. But we should be proud, and reassured, by what we contribute.

And by and large the big decisions that have taken in recent decades have proven to the been the right ones: renewing our nuclear deterrent, bolstering Nato’s northern and eastern flank, recapitalising the Army, forging new industrial alliances such as AUKUS .

Modern weaponry is demanding and expensive. Twenty years ago, when the focus was operations in Afghanistan, some people questioned why we needed such sophisticated air defence destroyers or so many fast jets. The performance of the Type 45 destroyer in the Red Sea or the Typhoon fast-jet over Baltic skies in recent times is the answer.

That is why we continue to invest in new and advanced capabilities, such as the programme to develop a sixth-generation fighter with Japan and Italy. Doing so now ensures we will be ahead of the threat in 20 years’ time.

The announcement by Rishi Sunak that the UK will spend 2.5 per cent of our national wealth on defence by 2030 means we that can accelerate the trajectory of recent years.

It builds on our work to date to support Ukraine, by bringing forward the largest and most substantial package of aid to date. This includes more Storm Shadow missiles , which Ukraine has used to such devastating effect against the Russian navy in the Black Sea.

It is proof that the UK is good on our word: we will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes.

It also means we can strengthen our commitment to Nato, including renewing our nuclear deterrent and extending our nuclear umbrella to our allies for decades to come.

We will also see through the recapitalisation of the British Army so it can fulfil one of the two strategic reserves available to Nato’s supreme allied commander.

There will be more F-35 fighter jets for the Royal Air Force and a steady shipbuilding programme for the Royal Navy.

We will defend our interests

Most importantly, by committing to spend 2.5 per cent of our national wealth on defence, we can accelerate our efforts to implement the lessons from the war in Ukraine, and to position ourselves for a more dangerous era.

First, and most pressing, we will deepen the resilience of our stockpiles by doubling the amount we invest in munitions and resetting our relationship with defence suppliers, to move from stop start production to an industry that is able to deliver modern weaponry on a rapid and continual basis.

Secondly, we need to focus on addressing issues that matter to our people. Too many people who want to serve their country find obstacles blocking their path, when we should be laying out a red carpet to get these people through the door.

Schemes such as Forces Help to Buy and Wraparound Childcare are proving hugely popular with military families, but we know we must do more to find, retain and support the people who keep us safe.

The third area of focus is technology. The British Armed Forces are making real headway in adapting. UK Space Command is up and running. Remotely operated vehicles are steadily replacing traditional minehunting and hydrographic ships. Laser weaponry is under development and will be fielded within the next few years. But we can, and must, be much more ambitious.

We should consider long-range missile battalions for the British Army and fast attack craft for the Navy. Our aircraft carriers could be the first in the world to field an entirely uncrewed air wing. The RAF might increase from dozens of drones to thousands of drones. All these options, and more, are now in reach.

There is one other ingredient that is necessary in these contested times – self-belief. We will shortly be commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Those young men who fought their way onto the beaches of Normandy demonstrated enormous courage and a clear sense of purpose to see through what General Eisenhower termed “the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world”.

In all the great conflicts of the 20th century, Britain prevailed because we understood what was at stake. That is no less important a precondition for success in the 21st century.

What we have seen unfold in the past few years is a battle of ideas: between an authoritarian and belligerent Russia and a dynamic, democratic Ukraine; between a reckless Iran and its terrorist network on one side, and the responsible nations of the Middle East on the other; between a China that believes it can dominate and coerce, and those nations that share a commitment to an international system that is open and free.

So let’s have the confidence to recognise this moment for what it is: a sign of our self-assuredness; an investment that sends a message to friend and foe alike. Britain has lost none of her famous resolve. We will defend our interests. We will support our allies. And together we will prevail.

Adml Sir Tony Radakin is the Chief of the Defence Staff of the British Armed Forces

• British Army,
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