Lok Sabha Question No. 4675 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-20
Subject: Internal Complaints Committees
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Ms. S Jothimani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UN- STARRED QUESTION NO. 4675 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2026

## INTERNAL COMPLAINTS COMMITTEES

## 4675:  MS. S JOTHIMANI:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the  number  of  Government  offices,  PSUs,  private  companies  and  SMEs  that  have constituted Internal  Complaints Committees (ICCs) as mandated by the POSH Act, 2013, including the penalties imposed on Non-compliant Organizations;
- (b) the number of complaints received/resolved along with the measures taken to ensure fair and timely redressal, particularly in high-risk sectors such as manufacturing, IT, media and entertainment since 2019;
- (c) whether the Government has collaborated with industrial bodies such as FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM  to improve compliance, provide ICC training and implement standardized best practices for workplace safety, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the number of awareness programmes conducted including the reporting requirements for POSH compliance along with the details of online monitoring system introduced to track ICC effectiveness; and
- (e) the details of the initiatives taken to extend POSH protections to gig workers, freelance professionals and women in the unorganized sector along with the safeguards against retaliation to the complainants?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a) 'The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013' (SH Act) mandates the Appropriate Government to monitor the implementation of the Act and maintain data on number of cases filed and disposed of under SH Act. It provides for constitution of Internal Committee (IC) where the number of employees is 10 or more and also mandates for constitution of Local Committee (LC) by the District Officer notified under the Act to deal with the cases of workplaces where the number of employees is less than 10 or when the complaint is against the employer itself.

As a digital governance initiative by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) launched  on  August  29,  2024  for  effective  implementation  of  the  SH  Act,  the  Sexual Harassment Electronic Box (SHe-Box) Portal (https://shebox.wcd.gov.in/) has seen significant onboarding.  Till  18.03.2026,  158,981  workplaces  have  been  onboarded  including  95,039 government establishments (with PSUs) and 63,942 private establishments (including SMEs) with  details  of  67,127  Internal  Committees  (ICs)  updated,  comprising  40,030  government offices and 27,097 private companies.

(b) SHe-Box Portal is not a mechanism for statutory or regulatory oversight; it is only an IT aid to provide a centralized online system to facilitate dissemination of information about the ICs and LCs constituted at various workplaces so that any aggrieved woman may file complaint in a secure and hassle-free manner and track its progress.  However, as mandated under the SH Act, the appropriate Governments are responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Act.

The portal provides options for disposal of complaints in accordance with relevant provisions under the SH Act including Section 12 to 15 and Rules 7 to 10 under SH Rules. Details of complaints registered and disposed on the SHe-  Box Portal as on 18.03.2026 and since its launch on 29 th August, 2024 are as below:

| Workplace/ Sector Complaint   |   received |   Disposed |
|-------------------------------|------------|------------|
| Central                       |        167 |         93 |
| State                         |         91 |         33 |
| Private                       |         70 |          1 |
| Total                         |        328 |        127 |

As per Section 11 (4) of the Act, the IC shall complete the inquiry process within a period of ninety (90) days from the date of receipt of the complaint. To ensure timely disposal within the statutory period of 90 days, on the portal, automated notifications are issued to Nodal Officers and Chairpersons at regular intervals (30, 60, and 90 days). In case of pendency beyond 90 days, freeze messages, SMS, and email alerts are triggered to enforce timely action.

(c) For effective implementation of the Act, Ministry aims to include IC details of workplaces including all sectors across the country whether, Central or State Government departments, Private  sector  entities  or  Professional  Bodies  including  all  educational/  medical  colleges, hospitals etc. on the SHe-box portal.

To streamline implementation across diverse sectors and enhance private sector participation with wider outreach, the Ministry has been engaging with various stakeholder ministries and departments including the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Department of Financial Services (DFS), National Medical Commission (NMC), All India Council  for  Technical  Education  (AICTE),  Department  of  Higher  Education  and  National

Legal Services Authority (NALSA) along with industrial chambers such as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), to discuss the portal's functionalities and ensure compliance with directives from the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in the matter of Aureliano Fernandes vs. State of Goa and Ors. (2023).

The Hon'ble Supreme Court, through its orders dated December 3, 2024, August 12, 2025 and January  6,  2026,  directed  Chief  Secretaries  to  instruct  District  Officers  notified  by  the Appropriate authorities under the Act, to conduct survey in their jurisdiction with respect to public and private organizations for Internal Committees (ICs) as per section 4 of the Act. The Hon'ble  Court  further  mandated  to  conduct  these  surveys  with  the  assistance  of  Labour Commissioners at both district and state levels and directed States to ensure that all collected data is properly on-boarded onto the SHe-Box portal, thereby strengthening compliance and monitoring of workplaces for constituting Internal Committees.

(d) Section 19(c) of the Act mandates the employers to organise workshops and awareness programmes at regular intervals for sensitising the employees with the provisions of the Act and orientation programmes for the members of the Internal Committee. Further, under Section 24, the appropriate Government may develop relevant information, education, communication and training materials, organise awareness programmes to advance understanding of the public of the provisions of the Act for protection against sexual harassment of women at workplace and  also  to  formulate  orientation  and  training  programmes  for  members  of  the  Local Committee.

Being the Nodal Ministry, to enhance understanding on SHe-Box Portal and address queries or challenges encountered by Government departments at Central, State and district level and also private establishments, the Ministry has been proactively conducting multiple meetings and trainings in hybrid mode. These sessions have been instrumental in facilitating discussions, clarifications, and strategic guidance to expedite the onboarding process on the portal. So far, around  50  physical  meetings/  trainings  and  virtual  conferences  have  been  conducted  with stakeholders to ensure awareness, sensitisation and compliances as per the Act and updation of necessary details on the portal.

The  Government,  through  institutions  like  the  National  Commission  for  Women  (NCW), Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development (SPNIWCD) and their counterparts in States and UTs have been spreading awareness through seminars, workshops, audio- visual, print and electronic media etc. to sensitize public and Government and Private sector organizations about the SH Act and SHe-Box portal.

Further, as part of its continuous efforts to expand the reach of the SHe-Box portal and enhance awareness of the SH Act, 2013, the Ministry has integrated the SHe-Box facility on the Mission Shakti  mobile  application,  making  it  accessible  on  all  Android  and  iOS  devices.  This integration  has  significantly  strengthened  ease  of  access  for  women  across  diverse  sectors, including those in remote and informal workplaces.

(e) The SH Act aims to provide a safe and secure working environment for women across all sectors.  It  covers  all  women,  irrespective  of  age  or  employment  status  and  extends  its protection to both public and private sector workplaces, organized or unorganized, including domestic workers, gig workers and freelance professionals.

As per the Act, State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, are the implementing authority at State level to strengthen the mechanism available at the grassroots level for creating accessible channels including establishment of a Local Committee (LC) in every district and appointment of Nodal officers at Block/ tehsil level by District Officers, particularly to assist women in the unorganised sector. The Ministry has regularly urged States and UTs to update the  details  of  Local  Committees,  District  Officers  and  Nodal  Officers  as  mandated  under Sections 5 and 6 of the SH Act, accessible to public on the portal.

In addition to digital integration, the Ministry has undertaken sustained awareness-building initiatives.  Regular  promotional  campaigns  are  being  conducted  through  MWCD's  official social media platforms (such as X, Facebook and Instagram), ensuring wide dissemination of information about the Act and the portal. The portal itself hosts a comprehensive repository of Information,  Education  and  Communication  (IEC)  materials,  including  FAQs,  creatives, audio-visuals, handbooks and training manuals, which serve as valuable resources for both the public and Local Committees.

In addition, the portal has features to ensure confidentiality of the complainant and protecting personal information throughout the complaint process. The details of a complaint are strictly confidential and are only visible to the presiding officer/ chairperson of the IC or LC, thereby providing a secure environment for women to report incidents without fear of exposure or retaliation.

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