The University Grants Commission (UGC) has initiated an independent inquiry into the recent tragic suicide of a second-year engineering student at Sabaragamuwa University, allegedly due to ragging by third-year students. This probe runs parallel to a CID investigation, with a dedicated committee—comprising UGC representatives—appointed to investigate the circumstances leading up to the incident.
Addressing Parliament on May 8, Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya assured lawmakers that the government will not take the incident lightly. In response to a question from UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake, she stressed that both short-term punitive actions and long-term preventive reforms are being urgently implemented.
Key Government Responses:
- UGC-led investigation in collaboration with the university’s internal committee, following a directive from the Vice Chancellor to include UGC-nominated members.
- Activation of a 24/7 helpline by the Centre for Gender Equity and Equality to receive complaints related to ragging, harassment, and sexual or gender-based violence—expanding on its prior limited-hour service.
- Complaints collected via email, physical letters, personal visits, and then logged through an online portal, routed to Gender Focal Points and Vice Chancellors for action within a fixed timeline.
- Revival and intensification of awareness programmes based on findings of a 2018 research study on ragging and gender-based violence in state universities.
- Recent high-level meeting held with Vice Chancellors, University Marshalls, and Gender Focal Points to propose the creation of a task force to develop a multi-phase strategy—addressing both conventional ragging and evolving forms like online harassment and psychological bullying.
Broader Strategic Measures:
- The task force will identify short-, medium-, and long-term solutions, and may recommend new legislation if existing laws are found inadequate.
- The government is ensuring strict implementation of current laws by university authorities, while simultaneously focusing on creating a preventive ecosystem within universities.
- The Centre for Gender Equity and Equality is developing a survivor support system to assist victims and witnesses of ragging and violence, offering emotional and procedural support throughout the complaint process.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya acknowledged that ragging in today’s context has evolved beyond traditional hazing, describing it as a complex issue involving multifaceted forms of abuse. She underscored the importance of a holistic approach, combining legal enforcement, institutional reform, and a cultural shift within universities to ensure student safety and dignity.
