GENDER AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT CELL

Objectives

To prevent sexual harassment and to promote the general well?being of female students/employees of the Institute.

• To provide the healthy and safe environment in the Institute for the female students / employees.
• To provide guidelines for the redressal of grievances related to sexual harassment of female students/employees of the institution.

Responsibilities

To sustain the dignity of women.

• To facilitate congenial working environment so that any female employee is not subjected to gender specific discrimination.
• To consider the complaints of grievances from female teaching staff, non-teaching staff and students and investigate them thoroughly within stipulated time.
• To ensure confidentiality and time bound response to the complaints.


• To heighten awareness and sensitivity to this important issue amongst all the female staff and students. For this purpose motivational and developmental activities shall be organized.

Powers And Duties

To ensure implementation of these Directions as may be laid down in the University and other constituents to which it is applicable.

• To process individual grievances concerning sexual harassment in the University departments/
  Administration/Authorities and to recommend suitable action in the manner and mode particularly provided hereafter.
• To exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as may be conferred or imposed on it by or under these Directions
• To do all such acts and things as may be necessary to carry out the objects of these Directions.

Procedure For Investigation Of Complaints

Any woman employee/female student of the University Departments/Schools/
Administration/Authority shall have the right to lodge a complaint with any of the members of the Cell.

• Such complaints may be oral or in writing.
• Any complaint in writing shall be signed by the person making thecomplaint. If the complaint is oral the same shall be documented inwriting in detail by the Cell member to whom the complaint is made andshall not be acted upon till signed by the complainant. A ComplaintRegister shall be maintained by the Complaints Committee. It should be a confidential document.
• The complainant shall be afforded full confidentiality at this stage.
• In the event of the complaint being made to any member of the Cell,immediately upon receipt of the complaint, and within not more than ten working days, the member of the Cell to whom the complaint is made,shall communicate the same to the Chairperson of the Cell. However, ifthe complainant so desires, her name shall be kept confidential and shallnot be divulged except to the Cell.
• Within a period of three weeks from the date of such communication, theChairperson shall convene its meeting.
• In case, the Cell decides to proceed with the complaint, the wishes of thecomplainant shall be ascertained and if the complainant wishes that a warning would suffice, then the alleged offender shall be called to themeeting of the Cell, heard and if so satisfied that a warning is just andproper, it be recommended to the Vice Chancellor that he may bewarned about his behaviour. The matter shall then be treated asconcluded with a recording, to that effect, made in the ComplaintRegister. With acceptance of the recommendation by the Director, he be warned about his behaviour and necessary note bemade into the Service Book of the employee/Record of the studentincluding the Migration Certificate. The Cell should verify compliance of the action taken.
• The Cell shall accord fair and reasonable opportunity to the delinquent todefend himself and shall ensure observance of the principles of natural justice.

Composition

The Gender & Sexual Harassment Cell is composed of convener and three members from the faculty and two from administrative staff.