New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Monday said that an educational institution's failure to check ragging amounts to negligence.

While ordering maintenance of decorum in such institutions, Justice G.S. Sistani said: "It has been held that failure to prevent ragging is to be construed as an act of negligence in maintaining discipline in educational institutions on the part of the management."

The court made the remark while dismissing a plea by two Kirorimal College students who were barred from appearing in the BSc final examination for their alleged involvement in a ragging incident.

"Failure on the part of the college authorities has been increasing in the incidents of ragging. Senior students have completely lost track of their role to welcome the new students and to help them familiarise with the college," added Sistani.

He further said that ragging takes its toll on the students who either commit suicide or leave the educational institutes out of fear.

"There have been incidents where some students have committed suicide and others have left the educational institutions out of fear due to indiscipline of some of the senior students," he added.

The court also accepted the arguments of Delhi University counsel who claimed that the incidents of ragging, particularly in hostel, often take an ugly turn in the life of many students who come to university from different states and backgrounds.

"Many students who face ragging at the hands of their seniors do not report the incidents to college authorities either due to fear or embarrassment and sometimes the college authorities fail to take the desired action," said Sistani.