Question : Harassment Cases in Colleges

(a) whether under the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations 2015, internal complaints committees were to be set up from 2016 to deal with sexual harassment cases in each University/ College;
(b) if so, whether only three Delhi University colleges have full fledged sexual harassment complaints panels and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
(c) the details of the guidelines being followed in Delhi University for quick response to cases of sexual harassment and to dispose of such cases within a stipulated period of time;
(d) whether many cases of sexual harassment involving girl students have been reported from universities including Delhi University; and
(e) if so, the details of the number of sexual harassment cases reported and action taken in each case during each of the last three years and the current year, University-wise?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(Dr. SATYA PAL SINGH)

(a) & (b): The University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified the Regulations on UGC (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015. These Regulations are mandatory in nature and are applicable to all Universities. In pursuance of the above, UGC has issued circulars to all the Universities to constitute an Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) as per the above regulations. UGC has stated that six Delhi University colleges have full fledged sexual harassment complaints panels.
(c) to (e): To obtain the policy of zero tolerance, UGC has taken various measures for Ensuring the Safety of Women on Campuses and Programmes for Gender Sensitization. Following the Justice Verma Committee Bill in 2013, the Vishakha Guidelines and the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act 2013. The UGC has taken several preventive measures against sexual harassment and discrimination in universities/colleges. The UGC had asked all Vice Chancellors/Directors of all institutions of higher learning in the country to review the security arrangements for girls and women in university/college campuses and in girls’ hostels. It has also constituted a task force to recommend measures to further ensure the safety of women and devise programmes for Gender Sensitization on campuses across the country. Basing on the report submitted by the Task Force, the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2012 to prohibit discrimination/harassment on the basis of gender, in Higher Educational Institutions, have been notified.
UGC has informed that data for the years 2015-16 and 2016-17 are available with it. During 2015-16, out of 94 harassment cases, 88 were disposed off and during 2016-17, out of 149 harassment cases, 107 were disposed off. These are available at https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/3979799_Annual_Return_Data_on_SHC_for_the_Year_2015_16_University.pdf and https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/5766842_Annual_Return_Data_on_SHC_for_the_Year_2016_17_University.pdf and Punitive action has been taken in the respective cases by the concerned authority.
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