'Ragging ko No Kia': Punjab Police's innovative Social Media Drive

 The Punjab Police marked its presence on the social media to highlight a serious issue of ragging. In recent tweets, Punjab Police have campaigned against ragging by posting photos of Nokia, Thumps Up and Mcdonalds slogans with witty captions.

• “A college or school is a great place for "connecting people". Let's not spoil that with ragging. (sic)”, says one photo ‘Ragging ko No Kia’, “Punjab Police Protecting People”.

• “Want to do something Toofani today? Save someone from ragging or report it to the authorities! (sic),” says another message with a Thumps Up logo, “If you indulge in ragging, taste the thunder.”
• “People who experience ragging are never 'loving it'. Make college a Happy experience for everyone (sic),” another message with a Mcdonalds logo with words “Say no to ragging, we are watching it,” was posted.

• It seems Punjab Police have also learned from their Mumbai counterparts in using social media and memes to target the youth and bring awareness on serious issues.

Other Initiative of Punjab Govt. to curb Ragging :

• The Punjab Government has set up Anti-Ragging cell to menance of ragging in Technical Education Institutions of the state.
• The new cell has been set up at Director Technical Education in the Technical Education Bhavan situated at Chandigarh.
• As ragging has been declared crime by the Apex Court of India, Punjab Govt has taken all required steps to stop ragging.
• Anti Ragging committees has already been set up in all the technical education institutions including teachers and parents of students as members.
• Any ragging victim students can calls on anti ragging committees in their concerned institution or directly to Anti-ragging cell at Director Technical Education at Chandigarh.
• The Punjab Govt. has issued strict instructions to all the concerned officials to implement the anti-ragging guidelines in true manner in all educational institutions and a strict action would be taken against the Institutions failing to follow the instructions in this regard.

Analysis :

• The social media campaign of Punjab police will go a long way in bridging the gap between the police and the citizens.
• The Punjab police has harnessed the social media power effectively, in tackling the abuse of ragging.
• The Punjab police has put use of social media in a productive manner to provide useful information to the society, particularly the youth, in order to provide transparent, responsive and effective policing in curbing ragging.
• Social media can be of immense help in effectively handling law and order situations, prevention and detection of crimes, and other aspects of policing.
• It will act as catalyst in reducing cases of the victim students taking the extreme step of committing suicide.

Some other duties of Police to control ragging :

• The police officers have to play an important and active role in curbing this menace of ragging. Therefore, all Ss.P./Cs.P. should instruct their subordinates before the commencement of the academic session to contact Heads 195 of the educational institutions and enlighten them on the provisions of the law. Head of educational institution should also be advised to give wide publicity about the provisions prohibitively ragging.
• University and College hostels should be visited especially in the nights and in the beginning of the academic session along with the wardens and university/college staff. If necessary complaint box may be kept in the hostels. Efforts to collect intelligence or deploy men in plain clothes at the beginning of academic year besides keeping vigilance over senior students and also request the management to take preventive action besides involving the non-government organisations should be taken by the police to stop ragging. Suo-moto action should be initiated where the institutions or the targeted victims do not come forward to lodge a complaint for fear of reprisal.

By: Harman Sandhu