The three-member panel, headed by M S University Vice-Chancellor Anil Kane, has been asked to study the relevant provisions of an Act enacted by the Maharashtra Government to curb ragging in educational institutions in that State and suggest measures to the Gujarat Government to help it formulate a similar Act here. The other members of the panel are Sardar Vallabh University V-C V H Patel and Saurashtra University V-C Kanubhai Mavani. The problem of ragging was discussed at a recent meeting of vice-chancellors called by Minister of State for Higher and Technical Education Bharat Barot in Gandhinagar, where it was decided to constitute a three-member committee to look into the issue.

Expressing serious concern at the increasing incidents of ragging, Bharat Barot said here on Wednesday that his department was taking all precautionary measures to prevent such incidents from spreading to other educational insitutions. "After studying the Maharashtra Act, the three-member panel will submit its report to the department which will, in turn, formulate an Act on the Maharashtra pattern to curb ragging", Barot said.

The minister warned that the university authorities would not hesitate to rusticate students if found involved in ragging in any of the universities or colleges in the State. Incidentally, the State Health Department had recently evolved a code of conduct to check ragging in medical colleges.

In another development, the government declined to accept the Centre's proposal to extend the term of the B Ed course from the existing one year to two years, contending that the proposal would entail additional burden on the public exchequer. Barot said if the government accepted this proposal, it would have been left with no other option but to employ additional teaching as well as non-teaching staff members and open extra classes.