Question : SAFETY OF WOMEN IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

(a) whether it is a fact that an internal study reveals that about 53 per cent of women in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) face sexual harassment;

(b) if so, the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the Government proposes to issue any directives for the safety of women in the universities in the country and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(d) whether the Gender Sensitization Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) has been formed in many universities in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(e) the details of the universities that have not formed GSCASH; and

(f) the action taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. SHASHI THAROOR)

(a): Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has informed the Ministry that in August 2013, it had conducted an internal survey on gender relations with a sample of 528 respondents. 53 per cent of the respondents disclosed that they had faced sexual harassment at some point of time in their life.
The JNU has further stated that the findings do not imply that the harassment took place within the University campus.

(b): According to the survey report, the primary reason for sexual harassment is due to the prevalence of a social setup that devalues women and a culture which is gender insensitive.

(c) to (f): The University Grants Commission (UGC), which is a regulatory body for universities, has informed the Ministry that it has been issuing circulars to Universities/institutes since 1998, advising them to establish a permanent committee/ cell to deal with the issues/complaints of sexual harassment and violence against women. As per the UGC, 258 institutions have already constituted such permanent cells/committees. The Commission has reminded the institutions, which have not constituted such a Committee/ Cell as yet, to do so as early as possible.