Lok Sabha Question No. 1551 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-05
Subject: Harassment Cases in Colleges
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: HARISH CHANDRA MEENA, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, P.R. SUNDARAM, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1551

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.03.2018

## Harassment Cases in Colleges

1551.SHRI HARISH MEENA: SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE: SHRI SATAV RAJEEV: SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM: DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT: SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (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;
- 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, Universitywise?

## ANSWER

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 201617,  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.

*****