New Delhi -- Complying with a Supreme Court directive, India has constituted a committee to look into the issues of ragging and suggest ways to prevent them.

The human resource development (HRD) ministry has set up the seven-member committee headed by a former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director R.K. Raghavan.

The committee primarily seeks to examine aspects like means and methods to prevent ragging, possible action against persons indulging in such activity and action against college or university authorities in the event of ragging, an HRD ministry official said Friday.

It will also examine aspects affecting the academic atmosphere in educational institutions.

Apart from Raghavan, the ministry appointed Indian Institute of Technology (Kanpur) professor Sanjay G. Dhande as its member director.

Maulana Azad Medical College Dean A.K. Aggarwal, Ramjas College principal Rajendra Prasad, (both Delhi), Vice Chancellor SNDT Women's University (Mumbai) Chandra Krishnamurthy, former vice chancellor Madras University S. Sathik, and Department of Education Joint Secretary Sunil Kumar, are other members.

India reports dozens of ragging cases annually and most of them are reported from the medical and technical education institutes.

In September last year, 17-year-old Akhilesh Shukla, a first year MBBS student was hospitalised following violent ragging. Shukla, a student of the B.J. Medical College, Pune had sustained major renal injury.

The committee proposes to hold its first public discussion Feb 5 at the Assam Administrative Staff College, Guwahati.

It has invited suggestions from the public before Feb 20.