Kochi: The Kerala High Court here on Thursday issued a directive asking the multidisciplinary working group constituted for frames rules to prevent ragging to hold a preliminary meeting and devise an action plan soon. A special bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice C Jayachandran pronounced the order while considering a petition moved by the Kerala State Legal Service Authority (KeLSA).

In the plea, KeLSA flagged the rising menace of ragging within the educational institutions in the state.

It was on March 6, a division bench of the court asked the state government to constitute the working group to formulate rules to prevent ragging in educational institutions abiding to the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998.

On Thursday, the state government informed the court that the working group to frame anti-ragging rules will be chaired by the Additional Secretary of the Home Department. The committee will include principal secretaries and secretaries from various departments, law secretary, police officials, former vice chancellor, registrar and psychiatry professors from various universities.

Meanwhile, the court asked the government to include a representative of KeLSA in the committee's preliminary meeting. The division bench added that a police official added as a member of the committee should not be less than an IG rank official. The working committee chairman will have the right to invite anyone to the meeting if he finds that their input is needed, added the court.

The court will consider the case again on April 10. 

KeLSA approached the court after several ragging cases including Kottayam Government Nursing College incident made headlines in this year. It was in February, police arrested five students of Kottayam nursing college for brutally ragging juniors. 
(With Live Law inputs)