HC questions delay in Anti-Ragging Bill, says “This cannot go on indefinitely”, Summons Law Secretary

On Tuesday, in a sharp intervention over legislative inaction, the Kerala High Court directed the State Law Secretary to explain the delay in placing the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging (Amendment) Bill, 2025 before the Cabinet, which reflects the Court’s concern over the prolonged hold-up in advancing reforms intended to curb ragging, a persistent issue affecting student safety within educational institutions.

The case arose from a public interest plea seeking stronger anti-ragging measures, where the Court had earlier pushed the State to fast-track inter-departmental consultations to finalise the Bill. When the case was taken up, the State cited the Model Code of Conduct due to upcoming elections as a hurdle for Cabinet approval, while admitting that inputs from one key department were still pending. The Court, however, questioned why the groundwork was not completed earlier, especially when most departmental feedback had already been received.

The Bench emphasised that administrative delay cannot be justified on procedural grounds alone. It observed, “We wonder why the Bill could not have been placed before the Cabinet prior to the declaration of the Model Code of Conduct… This cannot go on indefinitely.” The Court emphasised that the State ought to have set clear timelines for departmental responses to ensure the timely progression of the legislative process.

Consequently, the Court directed the Law Secretary to appear, physically or virtually, on April 7, explain the delay, and place the current status of the Bill on record

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