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Toll-Free Number for Complaints related to Ragging – 18003455678

Higher Education,

Government of West Bengal
Department of Higher Education
University Branch
Bikash Bhavan: 6th Floor, Salt Lake: Kolkata- 700091

No. 849-Edn(U)/10M-75/2018 Date: 24th August 2023

ORDER

The State Government in the Higher Education Department has issued a circular vide no 780-Edn(U)/10M-75/2018 dated 14.08.2023 on prohibition of Ragging in the Higher Educational Institutions in the State of West Bengal. The competent authority has decided to introduce a 24X7 Central dedicated Toll-Free Number 18003455678 at Kolkata Police headquarters, Lalbazar, for lodging complaints related to Ragging. The competent authority has also decided to constitute Ragging prevention cell in the districts and Kolkata with following officials:

The District Level Ragging Prevention Cell:

a. Additional District Magistrate looking after the Education in the District,

b. Addl. Superintendent of Police (HQ)/ Deputy Commissioner of Police (HQ), as the case may be,

c. District Education Officer/ Dy. Magistrate Dy. Collector looking after Education in the District.

The Ragging Prevention Cell for Kolkata:

a. Sr. Special Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Government of West Bengal,

b. Joint Commissioner of Police (HQ), Kolkata Police,

c. OSD, Department of Higher Education, at the rank of Joint Director of Public Instruction.

The Complaints received from outside the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police shall be addressed in the following manner:

  1. Complaints received will be forwarded to the Local Police Station through Director General of Police Control Room via District Police Control Room with an intimation to the District level Ragging Prevention Cell and the State Level Anti Ragging Committee notified vide No. 780-Edn (U) dated 14.08.2023, for follow up.
  2. An officer of the local Police Station shall immediately visit to the place of occurrence and take action as per provisions of the law.
  3. The Action Taken by the local Police Station shall be reported to the District Level Ragging Prevention Cell within 24 hours through Addl. SP (HQ)/ DCP (HQ) as the case may be.
  4. Simultaneously, the District Level Ragging Prevention shall seek Report from the concerned Institution on the basis of the complaint received from the Toll-Free Number.
  5. The Head of the Institution/ Registrar/ Director, as the case may be, shall submit the action taken report to the District Level Ragging Prevention Cell within 24 hours.
  6. The District Level Ragging Prevention Cell shall place its report, based on the action taken report from the local Police Station and the concerned Institution, before District Level Anti-Ragging Committee, as notified vide No. 780-Edn (U) dated 14.08.2023, through the Additional District Magistrate of the concerned district, being the Member-Secretary of the District Level Anti-Ragging Committee for taking appropriate action.

The Complaints received from the area within the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police in the following manner:

  1. Complaint received will be immediately forwarded to the Local Police Station for instant action with an intimation to the Ragging Prevention Cell for Kolkata and the State Level Anti Ragging Committee notified vide No. 780-Edn (U) dated 14.08.2023, for follow up.
  2. An officer of the local Police Station shall immediately visit to the place of occurrence and take action as per provisions of Law.
  3. The Action Taken by the local Police Station shall be reported to the Ragging Prevention Cell for Kolkata through Joint CP (HQ) within 24 hours.
  4. Simultaneously, the Ragging Prevention Cell for Kolkata will seek report from the concerned Institution on the basis of the complaint received from Toll-Free Number.
  5. The Head of the Institution/ Registrar/ Director, as the case may be, shall submit their action taken report to the Ragging Prevention Cell for Kolkata within 24 hours.
  6. The Ragging Prevention Cell for Kolkata shall place its report, based on the action taken report from the local Police Station and concerned Institution, before Anti-Ragging

Committee for Kolkata, as notified vide No. 780-Edn (U) dated 14.08.2023, through Joint Commissioner of Police (HQ), Kolkata Police, being the Member-Secretary of the Anti-Ragging Committee for Kolkata for taking appropriate action.

The Order is issued with the approval of the Competent Authority of the State Government and shall come in to force with immediate effect.

Senior Special Secretary
Higher Education Department

No. 849-Edn dated 24.08.2023, Source