DCW asks varsities details of sexual harassment committees

The Delhi Commission for Women on Wednesday directed Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and 21 other educational institutions in the city to submit details on their sexual harassment committees and the status of the complaints registered with them so far.

The directive comes a day after the DCW summoned St Stephen’s principal Valson Thampu to appear before it in a sexual harassment case.

In a letter to the vice-chancellors and heads of the institutes, the commission has sought details of the sexual harassment committee or the internal complaint committees which take up sexual harassment-related issues concerning both employees and students.

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act was passed by Parliament in 2013. It mandates constitution of such committees at all workplaces.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal said, “We came to know that the complaints in some of the colleges are not being dealt with seriously and we decided to take this step. So wherever the committees are not functioning properly, we will make sure they do.”

Jamia Millia Islamia University, Indian Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Indira Gandhi National Open University, National Law University, National School of Drama, National Institute of Fashion Technology are among the institutes which got the letter.

The letter seeks details such as funds allotted to the committees along with the expenditure, number of complaints received since 2013, along with the copy of the entire case files and action taken report in each case. The institutes have been asked to reply by September 9.
Monitoring.

“The DCW has been entrusted with the duty of monitoring the safety, security and interest
of women in Delhi, and has been empowered to call for records and requisition documents for this purpose,” the letter said.  “We are conducting a study on women safety in Delhi. This data is crucial for the same and will assist in fulfilling our statutory mandate of giving recommendations to the Central and state governments on the issue of women safety in educational institution,” it added.

On the complaint filed by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Alka Lamba against BJP MLA O P Sharma with the commission, Maliwal said the investigation into the case is on. “We are studying the case and the investigation is on. We are not here to do politics,” the chief said.