Ragging has once again raised serious concerns in Gujarat’s medical colleges following the suicide of 29-year-old resident doctor Harsh Pandya at the Government Medical College on the Surat New Civil Hospital campus.
A special investigation into the incident was completed within 24 hours. The inquiry found that four senior resident doctors had allegedly subjected Pandya to ragging and mental harassment. All four have been suspended for six months from the hospital, hostel and academic and non-academic activities. Show-cause notices have also been issued to four faculty members, including the head of the Microbiology Department.
Junior doctor allegedly kept locked in room
According to the inquiry, senior resident doctors Dr Nirali Vasave, Dr Anuj Maheshwari, Dr Dikshita Ghewariya and Dr Hina Bhut allegedly harassed Pandya and kept him locked in a room for several hours.He was reportedly subjected to verbal abuse and mental harassment, including being told, “We are your boss.”Pandya, who was from Modasa in Aravalli district, died by suicide in the boys’ PG hostel on Saturday night. His father had demanded a forensic postmortem.
Following the incident, Health Minister Praful Panchsheriya directed the formation of a special investigation committee. The committee completed its inquiry within 24 hours and confirmed allegations of ragging and mental harassment by the four senior doctors.
Government’s 2024 anti-ragging rules under question
The Gujarat government introduced stricter anti-ragging rules on March 19, 2024, directing universities and educational institutions to take effective steps to prevent such incidents.The rules require colleges to establish anti-ragging committees, anti-ragging squads and monitoring cells. However, repeated incidents have raised questions about whether these measures are being properly implemented, particularly in government medical colleges.
The Supreme Court had issued anti-ragging guidelines in 2009, while the UGC and National Medical Commission have also issued repeated directions to educational institutions.Despite these measures, incidents of ragging continue to be reported, with government medical colleges emerging as a major concern.
Three government medical colleges report incidents
In 2024, a first-year student at the government-run GMERS College in Patan was reportedly subjected to ragging. Since then, serious incidents have also been reported at other government medical colleges.
In the recent period, cases have been reported at B.J. Medical College, Bhavnagar Medical College and now Surat Government Medical College.Another worrying trend is the increase in ragging incidents involving postgraduate students, with senior PG students allegedly targeting their juniors.
Medical colleges account for over 26% of Gujarat’s complaints
The available figures highlight the seriousness of the issue. Gujarat recorded 105 ragging complaints between 2012 and 2022, while another 86 complaints were registered between 2022 and 2026.More than 26% of the total ragging complaints in Gujarat came from medical colleges alone.The national figures are equally concerning. According to the State of Ragging in India 2022-2024 report, 51 students died in ragging-related incidents across the country during the period. Of these, 23 were medical college students, accounting for 45.1% of all ragging-related deaths.The report also recorded 3,156 ragging complaints across 1,946 colleges during the three-year period.The repeated incidents have raised serious questions over the effectiveness of anti-ragging committees and monitoring systems. The latest case in Surat has once again highlighted the need for strict implementation of existing rules and stronger protection for junior students and resident doctors.