Thirteen medical students have been suspended for up to 18 months for allegedly harassing a first-year student from Tirupati inside his hostel room. The incident occurred on June 22 and came to light only after a formal inquiry by the anti-ragging committee.

But this is not just about one institute. Earlier this year, 18-year-old Anil Methania died in Patan, Gujarat reportedly after seniors tortured him to the point of fatal cardiac arrest. In Kerala, videos emerged of brutal ragging. In Bhopal, students were dragged out and assaulted. How many more reports will it take to realise this is a national crisis?

According to data from the UGC’s Anti-Ragging Portal, over 9,800 ragging cases have been officially reported since its launch in 2012. Yes, that’s nearly 10,000 lives disrupted or worse. And these are just the ones reported.

And what’s shocking? Medical colleges are the worst offenders. Between 2022 and 2025, over 53% of complaints came from institutions under the National Medical Commission (894 cases) and AICTE (827 cases) despite having far fewer students than engineering colleges.

AICTE governs over 8,000 institutions with 20 lakh students. But medical colleges just 780 in number with under 2 lakh students are topping the ragging charts. That’s not a coincidence. That’s a crisis.

Between 2022 and 2025 alone, at least 47 students died by suicide, 2 were murdered, and others attempted suicide all linked to ragging. And yet, the actual number is likely much higher. Why? Because victims don’t report. They fear retaliation, stigma, and silence from authorities.

While the UGC’s Anti-Ragging Portal allows students to file complaints online or call the 24x7 helpline, the system itself needs work. From inconsistent college names to test entries and duplicate reports, the data lacks clarity and reliability.

Let’s be clear, ragging is not some initiation ritual. It’s harassment, and in far too many cases, it’s fatal. Institutions must go beyond suspensions. They must protect students, fix reporting systems, and ensure this ends now.