14-07-2025
Govt seeks compliance from edu institutes on ICC
Bhubaneswar: In view of the self-immolation attempt by a 20-year-old student over alleged sexual harassment at a college in Balasore district on Saturday, state govt on Monday asked heads of all higher education institutes to submit compliance reports on instructions related to internal complaints committee (ICC) under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, within 24 hours.
The higher education department, in an urgent letter, asked the colleges and universities to include appropriate representation of women members and external representatives in the committees. They were also instructed to follow UGC (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015.
The department asked the institutes to display the name and contact number of all ICC members in a proper place for general awareness and upload their details in the higher education information management system (HIMS) portal.
The govt also directed the institutes to immediately organise workshops on the Act for the sensitisation of students and faculty members. "You are further requested to ensure that a geo-tagged photograph of the location where the details of the ICC are displayed is uploaded to the link positively," wrote Rajata Kumar Mansingh, deputy director of higher education.
The department earlier communicated to all colleges and universities about the constitution of ICC.
Some colleges do not have ICCs, and some have not formed them as per UGC rules.
University Grants Commission (UGC) has been issuing guidelines to all universities and colleges to set up ICCs and take necessary steps to prevent and redress sexual harassment on their campuses. UGC also asked all universities to set up special cells to deal with issues of gender-based violence and conduct gender sensitisation programmes. It suggested the institutes ensure a safe and healthy environment for women students and employees on their campuses as a necessary precondition to quality education and research.
Last year, a student of a city-based university lodged a complaint against a faculty member for sexual harassment. The university investigated the matter and suspended the faculty member.
