The Odisha government has instructed all higher education institutions in the state to establish internal panels for handling complaints of sexual harassment.

On Monday, the state’s Higher Education Department sent a letter to registrars of both public and private universities, as well as to principals of colleges and teacher education institutes, urging them to form internal complaint committees. This directive follows a reported incident of sexual harassment involving a woman at Utkal University, a prominent government-run institution in Odisha.

Institutions are required to create these panels in compliance with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. The letter emphasized that each institution must form an internal complaint committee in accordance with Section 4 of the Act, which is essential for addressing grievances related to sexual harassment and promoting a respectful workplace.

The Higher Education Department has set a deadline of September 30, 2024, for compliance reports from the institutions. They have also been urged to ensure a safe environment for both employees and students.

According to the Act, every workplace must establish an internal complaint committee to manage sexual harassment issues. This committee should include a presiding officer who is a senior woman employee, at least two other employees, and one member from an NGO or women’s association, with at least half of the committee members being women.

Last month, a female student at Utkal University reported harassment by a faculty member. The university’s internal complaint committee investigated the incident, leading to the faculty member’s suspension based on their findings.

Source: PTI

Also read: Odisha to give ₹5,000 to 3 lakh tribal students to reduce dropouts