Three Scindia School students have been expelled after being found guilty of ragging a junior who is now in critical condition in a New Delhi hospital.
In a press conference, the principal of the Gwalior-based Scindia School, Showmik Ghosh, said, "As per the recommendation of the special committee, the three students who were found to be involved have been expelled from the school with immediate effect. The House Master and the Assistant House Master found negligent, have been debarred from their duties."
Fourteen-year-old Adarsh, the son of Bihar's Cooperative Minister, Jai Kumar Singh, was found in a semi-conscious state in his hostel room on August 20.
He was taken to a private hospital for treatment, and when his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to the Apollo Hospital in New Delhi.
The local police reportedly said that the teen tried to hang himself after being allegedly harassed by senior students in the school.
On Tuesday, the Gwalior police registered First Information Reports (FIRs) against the expelled students and staff members who were found negligent.
Madhya Pradesh Education Minister Deepak Joshi said that the government would have to take special measures to prevent such cases in future.
"The government does not promote any form of ragging. In fact there is a law against ragging in Madhya Pradesh. Ragging cases are more prevalent in universities and colleges. But this time there has been a case in a school. The government needs to develop new ways to deal with ragging in schools,"said Joshi.
The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has decided to direct the Scindia School in Gwalior to submit all details regarding the alleged suicide bid.
Following a Supreme Court Order ragging was banned in 2009. Every institution in the country must now have an anti-ragging committee and an anti-ragging squad. A national anti-ragging helpline has also been set up.
Ragging in India is a damaging form of interaction of the seniors in college or school with the juniors, newcomers or first years and involves insults. It has become increasingly unpopular due to several complaints of serious injury to the victims and strict laws regarding ragging.
Ragging is now defined as an act that violates or is perceived to violate an individual student's dignity.
