The use of CCTV cameras has grown significantly over the past few years. CCTV surveillance is not only essential for serving its primary purpose, which is to provide security and enhance safety, but also for deterring crimes.
Ragging is a sporadically increasing concern in educational institutions. Governing bodies do take certain preventive measures and enforce laws to stop ragging. However, the ragging incident rates in India do not seem to show any downward trend. The effective utilisation of campus CCTV camera surveillance can significantly help in enhancing college security and mitigating the high likelihood of such crimes occurring.
What is Ragging?
Ragging refers to the act of causing harm or creating annoyance and hardship for an individual or a group in an education institution, whether through words or actions, usually with the intent to bring someone down. It can be both psychological and physical. Campus Ragging may involve teasing, annoying, making someone feel small, harassing, bullying, causing distress, or forcing someone to behave or act in a certain way.
In the past few years, several students have been suspended and arrested for committing campus ragging in India. Students who become victims of campus ragging are more likely to develop unhealthy coping mechanisms and suffer from low self-esteem and confidence. Many are also seen experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after incidents of ragging in India.
This emotional turmoil causes anxiety, depression, and a lack of focus on studies, ruining both their educational and personal lives. In some cases, it can even lead to career setbacks. Many campus ragging cases have resulted in suicide as well, raising serious concerns over the rise of these seemingly unworthy yet deeply ingrained distressing crimes. It is our responsibility as a nation to ensure safe universities by actively preventing ragging—every student deserves a campus free from fear, where learning and growth come first.
The Menace of Ragging in College and University Campuses
With concerning and deeply distressing news making headlines almost every day in the newspapers, it is becoming necessary to take initiatives to stop ragging. According to a report, a significant number of ragging complaints were received in the years 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The Centre For Youth, Aman Movement, Society Against Violence in Education and multiple other organisations have been monitoring allegations of ragging and bullying in college and university campuses across India, and conducting awareness sessions to demote such acts, in close collaboration with the UGC.
5 Ways to Stop Ragging in College Campuses
It becomes essential for individuals, the government, and educational institutions to enforce strict No Ragging policies. Moreover, it is especially important for educational institutions to take specific preventive measures to stop campus ragging in colleges and universities.
Installation of Campus CCTV Cameras to stop ragging
Surveillance serves as a deterrent to monitor campus ragging and related disturbances. Actively monitoring these cameras not only deters one from committing such nuisances but also allows for effective monitoring, helping create a safe environment. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has established certain anti-ragging measures. Among these measures, installing CCTV cameras at vital points across campus has been highlighted and made mandatory. It has also been outlined that NO RAGGING posters, featuring preventive methods and a clear reporting policy in case of campus ragging, should be displayed at specific locations across the college campus.
Several institutions have installed CCTV cameras, in recent years, to prevent ragging and other such crimes. Jadavpur University installed campus CCTV cameras at multiple strategic locations within the university premises, after a gruesome incident of ragging in 2023. CCTV cameras were installed at MGM Medical College Hostels in Jamshedpur in 2024 after recurring complaints of campus ragging were received by the college authorities and district administration. Delhi University also directed its colleges to install campus CCTV cameras to bolster college security and prevent incidents of campus ragging and crimes against women.
Strict laws and robust supervision
Most horrifying incidents of ragging typically occur in areas where there is no surveillance, such as washrooms and empty rooms without CCTV cameras. This highlights the importance of campus CCTV cameras in deterring misconduct and ragging in India, as they create a sense of fear among students. While installing cameras inside washrooms is not possible, they can be placed in key areas along the way to the washroom and in other vulnerable areas. It is also crucial to assign monitoring duties to a specific committee that can effectively track behavior and analyze what is happening. Having a robust surveillance system, with campus CCTV cameras installed at tactical locations, is essential for maintaining a safe environment.
Raising awareness and providing a safe environment for students to report such incidents
UGC released the Regulation on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009 that require educational institutions to compulsorily conduct joint sensitization programmes on ragging and ways to prevent it. It becomes the responsibility of the college/university to ensure that students are aware of these rules and feel safe and encouraged to report any such incidents without fear. At an institutional level, colleges can conduct seminars that not only raise awareness but also highlight the ill-effects of ragging, such as its emotional impact, behavioural change, and psychological harm. These anti-ragging sessions can help students recognize the signs of ragging and understand its serious consequences.
No-ragging tolerance policies and strict rules for ragging-related concerns
Institutions must implement zero-tolerance policies and other regulations for preventing ragging and have a mandatory anti-ragging committee specifically assigned to prevent such crimes and enforce legal regulations. These committees should be responsible for creating an anonymous reporting system and establishing a clear prevention framework, allowing students to report incidents safely and without fear.
Provision of Helpline Numbers and Safe Reporting Channels
Colleges should establish an anonymous reporting system to prevent ragging and enhance campus safety. An autonomous complaint system must be in place, allowing students to raise concerns without fear of retaliation. Additionally, anti-ragging posters displayed around the campus should include helpline numbers, and students must be made aware of these resources.
How CCTV Surveillance can Deter Ragging on Campus?
Installing CCTV cameras significantly increases the detection rate of misconduct and discourages students from engaging in such acts. When students are aware that their actions and words are being monitored, they are more likely to behave in a disciplined manner. Moreover, in case any such incidents occur on college premises, CCTV footage becomes a crucial tool for identifying, investigating, and addressing nuisances or other disturbances.
Campus CCTV Camera can deter students not only from committing acts of ragging but also help college faculty identify ongoing issues or concerns within the campus. Surveillance allows early detection of signs of ragging or bullying, enabling timely intervention. This proactive approach not only ensures student safety but also encourages awareness and helps create healthier peer relationships and bonding among students.
CCTV for Colleges and Universities - The Way Ahead
At Transline Technologies, we are committed to supporting the Government and private educational Foundations in building safe universities by tackling the challenges of ragging and bullying. Our AI-powered surveillance solutions combine high-resolution CCTV with real-time analytics to detect unusual behavior and send instant alerts to authorities, enabling timely intervention. With over two decades of experience and a strong presence in smart surveillance, biometrics, and security infrastructure, we’ve partnered with hundreds of institutions and government bodies across India to deliver reliable, scalable solutions. By leveraging the latest in AI technology, we help create a more secure and positive environment for students and staff alike.
Connect with our Solutions Team today to secure your campus with intelligent surveillance solutions built for the future.
