Supreme Court rejects PIL seeking central law to curb school ragging

NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the enactment of a central law and the formulation of uniform guidelines to curb ragging and bullying in schools across India. The bench, comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Manoj Misra, dismissed the petition, stating that the matter did not warrant the court’s intervention at this stage and that existing regulatory frameworks and institutional mechanisms were sufficient to address the issue.

Legal Basis for Rejection

The petition, filed by a private citizen, argued that the absence of a dedicated central legislation specifically targeting ragging in schools had led to inconsistent enforcement of anti-bullying measures across different states and educational boards. The petitioner contended that while the Supreme Court had previously issued guidelines in 2007 to curb ragging in higher education institutions, no similar comprehensive statutory framework existed for primary and secondary schools. The petitioner sought a direction to the Union government to frame a central law and to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and other state boards to issue mandatory guidelines for the prevention and punishment of ragging.

In its order, the bench noted that the issue of ragging and bullying in schools is a matter of public concern, but it did not meet the threshold for the court to issue a directive for the enactment of a new law. The court observed that the Union government and state governments have the primary responsibility to formulate policies and regulations to ensure the safety and well-being of students in educational institutions. The bench further noted that the existing guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in 2007, though primarily aimed at higher education, have been adopted by many schools and educational institutions as a reference point for addressing ragging.

Context of Existing Regulations

The Supreme Court’s 2007 guidelines, issued in the case of *Pravesh Kumar v. Union of India*, mandated that educational institutions establish anti-ragging committees and impose penalties on students found guilty of ragging. These guidelines have been widely implemented in universities and colleges, but their application in schools has been less uniform. The CBSE and other state education boards have issued their own guidelines and circulars to address bullying and ragging in schools, but critics have argued that these measures are often inadequate and lack the force of law.

पीआईएल के अस्वीकृति का समय उन परिस्थितियों से मेल खाता है, जब स्कूलों में धमकाने और रैगिंग की घटनाओं को लेकर बढ़ती चिंता देखी जा रही है, विशेषकर कई उच्च‑प्रोफ़ाइल मामलों के बाद, जिन्होंने राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर ध्यान आकर्षित किया है। अभिभावकों, शिक्षकों और छात्र कल्याण संगठनों ने छात्रों के लिए अधिक सुदृढ़ कानूनी सुरक्षा और मौजूदा दिशानिर्देशों के प्रभावी कार्यान्वयन की माँग की है। सर्वोच्च न्यायालय का निर्णय इन समूहों द्वारा एक प्रतिकूल