Ragging has reared its head in the city.

After Patna Medical College and Hospital, it is Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), where an alleged incident of ragging has been reported.

Contrary to last week's incident, the IGIMS administration has suspended the three MBBS second-year students involved in the incident. It has also sent a report to the Medical Council of India (MCI). The administration is now planning to install closed circuit television cameras at the college to step up vigil.

IGIMS principal Uday Kumar termed the incident, which occurred in college eight days ago, minor. "The senior students were asking the juniors to introduce themselves, only the manner of doing so was harsh. Action was taken against the students within a day of receiving the complaint."

The principal claimed that this was the first ragging-related incident in the college.

Recently, ragging cases were reported from Patna Medical College and Darbhanga Medical College. While in the case of Patna Medical College, the culprits are yet to be identified, MCI is dealing with the one that occurred in Darbhanga. It has asked Aryabhatta Knowledge University, under which these medical colleges function, to hold back the examination results for the entire second year MBBS-batch of Darbhanga Medical College.

In regard to Darbhanga Medical College's case, sources said when the principal went to meet the seniors involved, they assaulted him and vandalised the institution. Later, when the principal wanted names from them, they revealed nothing, after which the principal reported the matter to the MCI.

Both students and teachers of the state-run medical colleges told The Telegraph that ragging was nothing new in medical colleges. According to them, more cases of ragging came to light because students had become aware of the anti-ragging law. Sunil Kumar Singh, the vice-president of the state chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA), and also a member of the governors' body of IGIMS, said: "Students have now become aware of anti-ragging laws. More cases are coming to light."

Former president of the state chapter of IMA Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said juniors now considered a matter as simple as introducing themselves in the classroom in the presence of seniors tantamount to ragging. "If seniors are ragging juniors, then they must face punishment according to the norm."