More than a year after the Supreme Court asked the government to launch an anti-ragging website, the portal is yet to take the desired shape mainly due to technical reasons.

"There are some technical issues in this matter (developing the web portal). We are in talks with software service provider HCL over the issue. All the technical requirements will soon be sorted out," Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal told PTI on the sidelines of a function.

While hearing ragging-related cases, the Supreme Court on May 8, 2009, ordered the government to carry out several measures to combat the menace.

One of the measures was to develop an Internet website that will serve as a nationwide anti-ragging helpline.

All the colleges, universities and educational bodies in the country were supposed to give details of all ragging- related matters and court hearings on the website, which was to be developed and maintained by the the University Grants Commission (UGC).

On Thursday, a sessions court in Himachal Pradesh sentenced four medical students to four years rigorous imprisonment for ragging to death their junior Aman Kachroo last year in Tanda.

Unhappy over the verdict, Aman's father Rajendra Kachroo, who has been spearheading anti-ragging movements, alleged that blatant violations had created hurdles in the project from taking off.