Sexual Harrasment Committee

Committee against Sexual Harassment

With regard to the Supreme Court Judgment and guidelines issued in 1997 to provide for the effective enforcement of the basic human right of gender equality and guarantee against sexual harassment and abuse, more particularly against sexual harassment at work places, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued circulars since 1998, to all the institutions, advising them to establish a permanent cell and a committee and to develop guidelines to combat sexual harassment, violence against women and ragging at the universities and colleges. It has further advised the institutions to be proactive by developing a conducive atmosphere on the campus, where the status of woman is respected and they are treated with.

With regard to the Supreme Court Judgment in 1977 and guidelines issued in the Act passed by Parliament in 2013 in this regard to provide for the effective enforcement of the basic human right of gender equality and guarantee against sexual harassment and abuse, more particularly against sexual harassment at work places, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued circulars since 1998, to all the institutions, advising them to establish a permanent cell and a committee and to develop guidelines to combat sexual harassment, violence against women and ragging at the universities and colleges. It has further advised the institutions to be proactive by developing a conducive atmosphere on the campus, where the status of woman is respected and they are treated with dignity.

The objectives of our Sexual Harassment Committee are:-

Prevent discrimination and sexual harassment against women employees and girls students by promoting gender amity among them.

Make recommendations to the Chairperson for changes/ elaborations in the Rules for students and employees in the Prospectus and the Bye-Laws, to make them gender just and to lay down procedures for the prohibition, resolution, settlement and prosecution of acts of discrimination and sexual harassment against women, by the students and the employees.

Our Organization orientation programme for women employees and girl students to sensitize to be proactive to deal with such discrimination if any.

Complaint may be oral, by email (jjspalwal@gmail.com) or in writing. If the complaint is oral, it will be converted into a written form by the Sexual Harassment Committee member who received the complaint and authenticated by the complainant under his / her signature as soon as possible.

The following will also be treated as sexual harassment and are covered by the committee:-

Eve-teasing.
Disagreeable remarks.
Jokes causing or likely to cause awkwardness or embarrassment.
Innuendos and taunts.
Gender based insults or sexist remarks.
Unwelcome sexual overtone in any manner such as over telephone (obnoxious telephone calls) and the like.
Touching or brushing against any part of the body.
Displaying pornographic or other offensive or derogatory pictures, cartoons, pamphlets or sayings.
Forcible physical touch or molestation.
Physical confinement against one's will and any other act likely to violate one's privacy.

Decision and Action

Once the investigation is completed, a determination will be made regarding the validity of the harassment allegation. If it is determined that harassment has occurred; prompt, remedial action will be taken. The committee members will share the investigation details and the findings thereof with the appropriate functional head and agree on the applicable disciplinary action.

This may include some of all of the following:-

In 2014, CBSE made it mandatory for all school buses to install GPS systems to ensure safe transportation of children to and from schools
However, the actual need of the hour is to provide the school administration with an easy-to-use system to ensure safety of children and fleet management in real-time, and provide parents with constant updates of their children's whereabouts
When it comes to hiring teachers, administrators and other school staff, there are many good reasons to conduct pre-employment background checks for student safety.
This will help schools in screening people who come in contact with students within the school premises, including teachers, administrators, sports coaches, cleaning staff and volunteers.

» In the case of academic/administrative/ technical/ non-teaching staff/ management, disciplinary action could be in the form of one or more of the following:-

Warning.
Written apology
Adverse remarks in the Confidential Report
Debarring from supervisory duties
Denial of re-employment
Stopping of increments/promotion
Reverting, demotion
Transfer if applicable
Dismissal
Any other relevant mechanism

» In the case of Students, disciplinary action could be in the form of Warning:-

Written apology
Withholding results
Debarring from exams.
Debarring from holding posts
Expulsion
Denial of admission
Any other relevant mechanism.