UGC Chief gets tough with ragging in universities | Sunday Observer

UGC Chief gets tough with ragging in universities

22 January, 2023

University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof. Sampath Amaratunge has decided to get a pledge from every new undergraduate from this year that they would not get involved in ragging during their studies in universities.

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and the Attorney General’s Department have also called upon the UGC chairman to implement such a program. There are 17 state universities in the country and nearly 42,500 students will be admitted to the universities this year.

Twenty-three undergraduates had died and nearly 43 undergraduates have been disabled during the past ten years due to brutal ragging at state universities.

UGC Chairman Prof. Sampath Amaratunge told the Sunday Observer that ragging has to be eliminated from state universities as the short-sighted senior university students had committed brutal ragging on junior undergraduates in state universities due to their unpatriotic, violent and pessimistic political influences.

Prof. Amaratunge said the Government allocates billions of rupees on students’ higher education at universities. Although they read text books on academic subjects, their minds are polluted with anger, hatred and jealousy. Such negative thoughts have made them vulgar and indecent. These senior students should be inculcated with noble human values and the university authorities should guide these students with human values and positive thoughts at the beginning of the degree courses.

Religious discipline has to be instilled in their young minds to become responsible and dignified citizens of this country. Many leading private companies are reluctant to give jobs to university students after graduation as some these students are branded as ill-disciplined thugs. Intellectuals without noble human values and discipline are of no use to the country, he added.

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