Vikram (name changed) was just another first-year MBBS student at the Government Medical College Khammam in Telangana, trying to find his way through the maze of lectures, labs and late-night study sessions. On November 12 last year, as he walked back to his hostel, he ran a hand over his freshly trimmed hair. It was nothing drastic; just a routine cut, or so he thought until he stepped into the hostel. The laughter came first — loud, mocking, floating down the corridor from the floor above.
“Nice haircut. Looks like you are trying to copy the Chinese,” a senior sneered. Another voice chimed in, the mocking tone sharper: “Maybe go for something more Indian next time?” The jeers echoed, followed by a chorus of laughter.
Vikram felt a slow burn of embarrassment creep up his spine. He lowered his gaze and hurried into his room. His roommate glanced up, but said nothing. Vikram studied his reflection in the mirror. The more he stared, the more he doubted himself. Maybe if he trimmed a little more, the jokes would stop. Scissors in hand, he made small, hesitant cuts. But the damage had already been done, far beyond his hair.
Humiliated, he decided to seek help. He turned to the college’s anti-ragging officer, assistant professor Rahman expecting support, perhaps even action against the seniors. Instead, the professor eyed him for a moment and said, “Let’s fix this”.
Vikram did not quite understand what it meant, not until he found himself in a salon chair outside the campus. Rahman spoke to the barber in hushed tones and then, clippers buzzed to life. A strip of his hair fell to the floor. Then another. Then another. Within minutes, his head had been shaved.
A lump formed in Vikram’s throat. The humiliation he had tried so hard to escape had come a full circle — not from his seniors this time, but from someone supposed to protect him. That night, sleep eluded him. The whispers in the hostel, the stolen glances, the barely concealed smirks were all inescapable.
By morning, his resolve had hardened. With his heart pounding and mind still reeling, he walked into the principal’s office and filed a complaint. The matter quickly escalated to the Director of Medical Education (DME), and within days, Rahman was suspended.
But the shame clung to Vikram. The helplessness and the fear refused to fade. What should have been the beginning of his medical journey had turned into something else entirely: a brutal introduction to the unspoken realities of life in a medical college.
Rahman’s suspension lasted only two months before it was revoked. The authorities deemed a transfer to Mulugu, a remote area in Telangana, as ‘punishment’ — a mere slap on the wrist.
This was no isolated incident. While ragging has largely been reined in across undergraduate and engineering colleges, medical institutions in Telangana continue to wrestle with its deeply entrenched culture.
Trial by fear
In March this year, another instance of ragging surfaced, this time at the Government Medical College Nagarkurnool. A first-year student there was subjected to abuse and humiliation by three seniors over a seemingly trivial matter.
The ordeal began with a simple errand — a senior student instructed a junior to fetch a water mug from another senior’s room. Unaware that the occupant was asleep, the junior knocked on the door, unintentionally waking him. The senior’s annoyance quickly spiralled into aggression.
Along with another student, he dragged the junior into their room and forced him into an “air chair” position, a stress posture meant to inflict discomfort. As the junior struggled to hold it, the seniors seized his phone and demanded his UPI PIN.
“When he refused to share his banking details, one of the seniors allegedly hit him with a belt multiple times and slapped him too,” says college principal Ramadevi. Unable to bear the abuse, the shaken student reached out to a relative, who happened to be a police officer.
This incident and Vikram’s ordeal are not mere exceptions. Despite policies, committees and legal mandates, ragging remains embedded in the culture of medical colleges, as seniors blatantly exert their dominance, turning routine interactions with juniors and freshers into opportunities for harassment.
The ‘State of Ragging in India 2022-245’ report by the Society Against Violence in Education (SAVE) highlights this disturbing trend. Medical colleges, though representing just 1.1% of India’s student population, account for 38.6% of total ragging complaints, 35.4% of serious cases, and a staggering 45.1% of ragging-related deaths. In Telangana, the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences alone recorded 25 complaints between 2022 and 2024, states the report.
These numbers stand in stark contrast to the measures supposedly in place. The Supreme Court’s 2001 ruling mandated strict anti-ragging committees, while the University Grants Commission (UGC)’s 2009 regulations required students and parents to submit affidavits warning of expulsion for involvement in ragging. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has its own set of protocols, yet institutions often prefer to handle cases internally rather than reporting them.
For many students, this silence is the real betrayal. Ragging in medical colleges is not just about hierarchy; it is about unchecked power, institutional complacency and a system that too often fails those it claims to protect.
Medical colleges in urban areas like Hyderabad have seen some progress in recent years, students say. A student from Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, recalls how, when she joined MBBS in 2018, senior female students reprimanded her for wearing a sleeveless outfit and freshers were barred from the college canteen.
Reading rooms, where students often spend 10 to 12 hours a day preparing for exams, were not always free from judgment either. “When my friends and I were studying there, a few senior boys commented, ‘How are we supposed to focus when you are wearing sleeveless’,” she says. While such regressive views were common back then, she notes her batch has made a conscious decision not to subject juniors to the same treatment.
“Another reason behind the lower incidence of ragging in older, well-established medical colleges is the structured hostel set-up. Institutions like Gandhi, Osmania, and Kakatiya medical colleges have separate hostel blocks for seniors and juniors, minimising interactions between them. However, newly established medical colleges follow a floor-wise hostel division, making it easier for seniors and juniors to cross paths and increasing the chances of ragging,” says a student of Government Medical College, Khammam.
Persistence despite policies
A senior health official acknowledges that despite ongoing efforts, ragging remains a persistent issue in Telangana’s medical colleges but disciplinary action is taken when complaints arise. “The problem exists at the level. of individual institutions. Whenever a complaint is lodged, necessary action is taken,” he says.
However, he underscores that institutional measures alone cannot eliminate ragging. “Real change must come from the students themselves. Parents, too, have a role in shaping their children’s attitude. Without that, the problem will persist,” the official adds.
He points out that the UGC and NMC regularly monitor ragging complaints and forward them to institutions, with Telangana’s medical colleges receiving three to four cases annually. However, he admits that the actual number could be higher: “Unless students come forward with complaints, we cannot fully gauge the scale of the problem. But in every reported case, action has been taken.”
With medical seats now being filled through the all-India quota, students from diverse States and cultural backgrounds often face challenges adapting to unfamiliar environments. While this diversity enriches the learning experience, the official notes that initial cultural differences sometimes lead to misunderstandings among students.
To tackle ragging, colleges are implementing awareness programmes and involving law enforcement. “At the time of admission, we hold sessions where local police officers, including the district Superintendent Police, issue strict warnings to students,” he says. Despite these efforts, he admits that some incidents persist.
Beyond administrative interventions
Despite institutional measures and disciplinary action, the persistence of ragging points to deeper psychological and social dynamics at play. Experts argue that addressing the issue effectively requires looking beyond administrative interventions and understanding the motivations behind ragging from the perspectives of both the perpetrators and victims.
Diana Monteiro, a counselling psychologist based in Hyderabad, explains that ragging operates on two levels — one that appears harmless and playful, and another that is rooted in power and control. While some seniors view it as a way to build camaraderie, it can quickly escalate into abuse when those seeking dominance use it to assert authority over juniors.
“Ragging works like bullying. It often starts with humiliation but escalates when seniors realise they can control juniors through fear. Over time, some begin to see it as a ‘tradition’ they must continue, turning past victims into future perpetrators,” she says.
The psychological damage for victims can be severe, leading to shame, embarrassment, and, in extreme cases, trauma that leads to anxiety, depression or even suicidal thoughts. “Medical students are at a critical stage of emotional development. When they experience intense humiliation, they may struggle to process it, leading to long-term mental health issues,” she warns.
The silence surrounding ragging remains one of its most troubling aspects. Fear of retaliation and the normalisation of this culture in institutions often prevent victims from speaking out. “Many colleges fail to provide effective mental health support, despite court mandates requiring counsellors on campuses. This lack of resources leaves students with nowhere to turn, deepening their trauma,” Monteiro points out.
Ragging also perpetuates a vicious cycle. Victims who once felt powerless may later become perpetrators themselves. “It is similar to patterns seen in other forms of abuse. Some juniors, after enduring ragging, later inflict the same abuse on others as a way to reclaim a sense of control. For individuals with sadistic tendencies, this cycle becomes even more dangerous,” she warns.
Awareness and enforcement
Breaking this pattern requires a proactive, top-down approach. Monteiro emphasises that awareness alone is not enough; strict enforcement of anti-ragging policies is essential.
“Education is key, not just for students, but also for faculty, wardens and hostel staff. Consistent messaging from college management, along with strict consequences for violations, can shift campus culture. Enforcement works, but enforcement without education won’t lead to lasting change,” she adds.
Medical colleges are meant to shape the doctors of tomorrow, yet for many students, the first lesson is not about healing but survival. While institutions claim to act on complaints, the silence of countless victims suggests that fear still outweighs trust in the system.
Telangana Director of Medical Education Narendra Kumar acknowledges that ragging remains a persistent issue in medical colleges despite preventive measures. He details the steps taken to curb the issue, including the formation of anti-ragging committees in every institution. These committees include representatives from the police, legal experts and social activists to ensure a multi-faceted approach.
“Senior students undergo counselling sessions, and faculty members, particularly assistant professors, are assigned night duty in hostels as most incidents occur after dark. Posters detailing legal consequences of ragging are displayed across campuses and booklets outlining punishments are distributed to students,” he explains.
Despite these efforts, Kumar admits incidents still occur: “When such cases arise, parents are informed immediately and an anti-ragging committee meeting is convened to decide the next course of action, whether it be counselling, temporary suspension or expulsion.”
Published – April 04, 2025 07:45 am IST