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In your first months of college, seniors seem to hold all the keys: which professor marks hard, which club is worth joining, where the good notes are. Most are kind. But some asks feel heavier than they should: write my lab record, come out tonight, pay for the treat, run the club stall all weekend. This guide helps you tell an ordinary request from pressure, gives you words to say no without starting a feud, and shows when a request crosses a line you can report.
Is it ragging if a senior makes you do their work?
Often, yes. The UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions, 2009 apply to universities, colleges and other higher education institutions, including their hostels, canteens and transport. Clause 3 lists what counts as ragging, and several items are about everyday pressure rather than violence:
"exploiting the services of a fresher or any other student for completing the academic tasks assigned to an individual or a group of students"
"any act of financial extortion or forceful expenditure burden put on a fresher or any other student by students"
"any act by a senior student that prevents, disrupts or disturbs the regular academic activity" of another student
asking a student to do something they would not normally do which causes shame, torment or embarrassment
The same clause says this counts "with or without an intent to derive a sadistic pleasure or showing off power". A senior who calls it a joke or a tradition has not changed what it is.
How do you say no to seniors politely?
A good no is short, early and about your limits, not their behaviour. Long explanations invite bargaining. Try one of these, adjusted to your own words:
The time no: "I can't this week, I have my own record due on Friday."
The partial yes: "I can't write it for you, but I can share how I set out my graphs."
The outing no: "I'm staying in tonight. Next time there's a plan before 9, count me in."
The money no: "I've got a fixed budget from home this month, so I'll skip the treat."
The club no: "I can do two hours on Saturday morning. After that I'm studying."
The repeat no, when they push: "I hear you. My answer is still no."
Say it calmly, ideally in person rather than in a group chat where others pile on. Apologise once at most. If a senior turns cold for a few days, give it time; the awkwardness often passes.
Which requests can you say yes to?
Not every ask is a test. Sort them into three groups before you answer:
Fine to say yes: showing you around, lending notes, inviting you to a club meeting, asking for help you are glad to give and can stop any time.
Your call, with limits: outings, club or fest duty, sharing your own work as an example. Agree to a fixed amount, such as one evening or a set number of hours, and keep your own deadlines first.
Not yours to grant: doing their assignments or records, paying for them, skipping your classes or tests for their tasks, anything humiliating or physical that you didn't choose. These fall under the UGC list above.
A worked example: a third-year asks you to write up their whole lab file "since you write neatly". That is academic work exploited from another student, the first item on the UGC list. Say the partial-yes line, offer to show your format, and don't write theirs. If they push again or threaten your marks in a shared practical, it has moved from a request to something you can report.
If the real pull towards a senior is that you're stuck in your own coursework, there are other routes. Fermi's AI tutor can work out what you already know and build a plan for the session, so you don't have to trade favours for help.
When should you report a senior, and to whom?
Report when a request is on the "not yours to grant" list, when a no is met with threats, or when you feel unsafe. Keep messages and note dates; they help whoever looks into it.
India's national Anti-Ragging Helpline is toll-free and open 24x7 on 1800-180-5522, and takes email at helpline@antiragging.in. On campus, the UGC regulations require every institution to have an Anti-Ragging Committee and an Anti-Ragging Squad, and say a hostel warden must be "accessible at all hours" and reachable by phone. Under Clause 7, when a reported incident is a case under the penal laws, the head of the institution must file an FIR within 24 hours of receiving the information.
If the pressure is leaving you anxious, sleepless or low, talk to a counsellor at your college or call Tele MANAS, the government's free mental-health helpline, on 14416 or 1800-891-4416, open 24x7.
Save the helpline number in your phone before you need it, and practise one no out loud tonight.
