Bringing Back Ragging Victims

A seven member committee appointed by the Minister for Higher Education Bandula Gunawardena, is expected to make recommendations on bringing back the many victims of ragging who have given up their university education. The committee is expected to provide recommendations on a programme of action that would persuade the students to return to university. A media communique released by the Ministry today, January 18^th, states that 2000 university students had given up their studies in 2018 owing to ragging.  Many suffer permanent disabilities and mental trauma while others have been driven to suicide.  It further states that while 30,000 are selected to enter university each year, around 20,000 more choose to go overseas for higher studies.   Many amongst them elect to study abroad owing to the ragging that first years students are subject to at local universities.  The communique adds that the loss to the country owing to students studying overseas is Rs. 50 billion annually. The government has decided to compensate the victims of ragging as a priority and has instructed the Chairman of the University Grants Commission to immediately appoint a committee to study the matter. The seven member committee, made up of academics, clergy and lawyers will be headed by former Supreme Court Judge Saleem Marsoof.