Lok Sabha Question No. 1348 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-01
Subject: Sexual Harassment in Schools
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Rajan Baburao  Vichare, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1348 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.07.2019

## Sexual Harassment in Schools

## †1348. SHRI RAJAN VICHARE: SHRI ADHIR RANJAN CHOWDHURY:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that cases of sexual harassment of girl students and female teachers has increased in various schools in the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  number  of  cases  reported  from  the  schools  in  the  country,  State-wise, particularly in Maharashtra; and
- (c) whether the Government has taken/ proposes to take any initiative to prepare any new strategy to tackle the said issue and if so, the details thereof ?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a) & (b): Education comes under the  concurrent  list  of  the  Constitution  and  the  State Governments and Union Territory Administrations have the direct responsibility to address the issue of sexual harassment in schools and work places under their territorial control. The list of cases of Sexual Harassment in schools, as reported by CBSE is annexed.

- (c): The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 aims to provide safe and secure work environment to women. The Act covers  all  women,  irrespective  of  their  age  or  employment  status  and  provides  protection against  sexual  harassment  at  all  workplace  and  covers  all  educational  institutions.  As  per Section  4  (1)  of  Sexual  Harassment  of  Women  at  Workplace  (Prevention,  Prohibition  and Redressal) Act, 2013 ' every employer of a workplace shall, by an order in writing, constitute a Committee to be known as the 'Internal Complaint Committee ':

The  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  has  taken  steps  to  prevent  and  deter  the commission of acts of sexual harassment and to provide the procedures for the resolution, settlement or prosecution of acts, of sexual harassment by taking all steps required.

The  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory  Education  (RTE)  Act,  2009  which came to effect in April 2010 mandates that, the School Management Committee constituted under Rule 21 shall be the first level of grievance redressal of teachers of schools specified therein.    The  State  Government  shall  constitute  School  Tribunals  at  the  State,  District  and Block levels which would act as the grievance redressal mechanism. Complaints related to harassment of women teachers shall be accorded priority and shall be redressed without delay in  compliance  with  the  guidelines  issued  by  the  Supreme  Court  on  prevention  of  sexual harassment at the  work  place.  Further,  the  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  has issued guidelines on 9 th October, 2014 to State Governments for ensuring safety and security of school children, including provision on eve teasing and sexual abuse.

National  Commission  for  Protection  of  Child  Rights  (NCPCR)  has  also  suggested authorities at different levels such as SMC, School Principal, School Management, Education Department and Boards, to conduct safety audits in schools. NCPCR has developed a Manual on safety and security of children in school setting.

The  CBSE  (Central  Board  of  Secondary  Education)  has  issued  a  circular  on 12.09.2017 directing the schools affiliated to the Board to take measures such as psychometric evaluation of teaching and non-teaching staff, safety audit of premises, CCTV monitoring,  character  antecedents  verification,  visitor  management,  training  of  staff  and setting  up  Internal  Complaints  Committee  on  sexual  harassment  and  Committees  under Protection  of  Children  from  Sexual  Offence  (POCSO)  Act,  2012  etc.  to  ensure  safety  of children.

Kendriya  Vidyalaya  Sangathan  (KVS)  has  constituted  an  'Internal  Complaints Committee'  at  KVS  Headquarters  level  and  Regional  Offices  level  vide  order  dated 03.11.2015 to deal with the complaints regarding sexual harassment of women at workplace.

Internal Complaint Committee in Headquarters and Regional Offices of the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) are functional which deal with complaints of Sexual Harassment of women  employees  at  work  place  in  NVS.  NVS  is  following  all  guidelines  of  Ministry, POSCO Act & NCPCR instruction. The detailed guidelines for ensuring safety and security of  students  in  JNVs  have  been  issued  from  time  to  time  JNVs.  School  level  complaint committees and cluster level complaint committees are functional. At headquarter level moral turpitude  cases  are  dealt  by  summary  trial  committees.  Action  against  the  staff  if  found guilty, is taken and in serious cases upto termination of services of staff is also taken as per the NVS notification dated 20.12.1993.

The Central Tibetan Schools Administration (CTSA) Schools are affiliated to CBSE and according  to  CBSE  guidelines  the  following  programmes  are  introduced  for  safety  and security of girl students & female teachers in Schools:

- (i) CCTV cameras are installed at all vulnerable areas within the School.
- (ii) Security Guards are engaged to limit the entry of outsiders within its premises.
- (iii) A separate grievances committee has been constituted in all Schools for redressal of grievances of the Staff, Parent and Students.
- (iv) A  separate  sexual  harassment  committee  is  also  working  in  all  the  Schools  of CTSA.
- (v) Counselling of Students is a regular feature in CTSA Schools.

CTSA has reported that no case of sexual harassment of girl students and female teacher has been reported in any CTSA school.

The NCERT has developed Training Material for Teacher Educators on Gender Equality and  Empowerment  -  Vol.  I,  II  and  III  wherein  the  vol.  I  has  a  module  on  'Gender  and Violence' and Vol. III has module on 'Protecting the Right of Girls and Women: The Legal Framework' which addresses the issue of child sexual abuse in school. These volumes are widely disseminated by the NCERT in all its programmes and its softcopies are available on NCERT's  website.  NCERT  has  also  prepared  Training  and  Resource  Materials  under Adolescence Education Programme.

Content related to understanding and challenging stereotypes and discrimination, reporting abuses and violence have been included. It is a part of NPEP which is implemented in states/UTs.

*****

ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  &  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1348 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.07.2019 ASKED BY SHRI RAJAN VICHARE AND SHRI ADHIR RANJAN CHOWDHURY REGARDING 'SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SCHOOL'.

| Details of Cases of Sexual Harassment in School   | Details of Cases of Sexual Harassment in School   | Details of Cases of Sexual Harassment in School                                                               | Details of Cases of Sexual Harassment in School                                               | Details of Cases of Sexual Harassment in School   |
|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.                                            | Affiliation No.                                   | Details of the school                                                                                         | Nature of the complaint                                                                       | Action taken                                      |
| 1                                                 | 2130146                                           | Tiny Tots Sr. Sec. School. Faizabad Lucknow                                                                   | Sexual abuse with 2 nd class girl child by driver &conductor of the school                    | School disaffiliated vide order dated 15.05.2018  |
| 2                                                 | 3530418                                           | GRD World School, Bhageshwar, Dehradun                                                                        | Sexual Abuse with female student by the student of same school.                               | School disaffiliated vide order dated 21.09.2018  |
| 3                                                 | 330529                                            | Holy Cross International School, Lekha Nagar, Ashopur, Danapur Near DAV School Cantt. Road Patna Bihar-801503 | Regarding sexually assault of a 08 years old girl student by a sweeper working in the school. | School disaffiliated vide order dated 05.06.2019. |