Odisha govt asks higher education institutes to form panels to address sexual abuse complaints

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has asked authorities of all higher education institutes in the state to constitute internal panels to address complaints of sexual harassment.

The state Higher Education Department on Monday wrote to registrars of all public and private universities, principals of colleges and teacher education institutes, directing them to form internal complaint committees.

The direction comes after an alleged sexual harassment of a woman was reported at Utkal University, a government-run premier institute in Odisha.

The higher education institutes were asked to form the panels as per the provision of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

“To meet the statutory obligations under this Act, each institution is required to constitute an internal complaint committee as per section 4 of the Act. This committee is crucial for addressing grievances related to sexual harassment and fostering a positive and respectful workplace,” the letter said.

The department has directed the authorities of higher education institutes to submit compliance reports by September 30, 2024.

These institutes were also asked to ensure a safe and secure environment for their employees and students.

The Act mandates each workplace to set up an internal complaint committee to receive and address sexual harassment issues, an official said.

An internal complaint committee should consist of a "presiding officer who is a senior-level woman employee of the organisation concerned, at least two employees and one member from an NGO or association committed to the cause of women", he said.

At least one-half of the total members so nominated shall be women, as per the Act.

Last month, a woman student at Utkal University complained of sexual harassment by one of the faculty members.

The internal complaint committee of the university investigated the matter and later, the faculty member was suspended on the basis of the findings.