The committee is NOT to act as a moral police; neither will it intrude on anyone’s privacy. The role of the Committee is to create awareness about sexual harassment and to deal with and recommend punishment for non-consensual acts of sexual harassment, and not to curtail sexual expression within the campus. Members are expected to be sensitive to the issue and not let personal biases and prejudices (whether based on gender, caste, class) and stereotypes (e.g., predetermined notions of how a “victim” or “accused” should dress up or behave) affect their functioning as members of the committee.
A. Preventive
- To create and ensure a safe environment that is free of sexual harassment, including safety from persons/visitors coming into contact at the workplace.
- To publicise the policy in English, Hindi and Bengali widely, especially through notice boards and distribution of pamphlets
- To publicise in English, Hindi and Bengali, the names and phone numbers of members of the Committee.
B. Gender Sensitization
Gender Sensitization involves creating awareness about issues of gender and sexuality and working towards and creating an enabling environment of gender justice where all can work together with a sense of personal security and dignity. Sensitization and Awareness will be a basic function of the Committee formed. The following is a list of methods in which awareness and sensitization of students, staff and faculty will be conducted:
- An orientation seminar will be organized to discuss the nature and scope of the sexual harassment of women at the workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013, at the beginning of the academic year.
- One or more workshops/seminars annually where external experts on the subject will interact with all employees and students
- Seminars, performances and discussion forums where gender sensitization and gender awareness will be the focus – these will happen during the academic year.
- Spreading awareness of the policy and implementation of the same through informal sessions, performances, cultural events, etc.
C. Remedial
- The mechanism for registering complaints should be safe, accessible, and sensitive.
- To take cognisance of complaints about sexual harassment, conduct enquiries, provide assistance and redressal to the victims, recommend punitive action or take immediate action against the harasser, if necessary.
- To recommend disciplinary action for any complaint registered with the Committee after the enquiry to the Director/administration/or concerned authorities and to follow-up action and monitor the same.
- To recommend Institute to provide assistance to the complainant if she so chooses to file a complaint in relation to the offence under the Indian Penal Code or any other law for the time-being in force.
- To recommend the Institute to provide the medical intervention with the consent of the complainant or even without consent in such cases where the complainant is physically or mentally incapacitated to give her consent.
- To inform the administration to arrange for appropriate psychological, emotional, and physical support (in the form of counselling, security and other assistance) to the victim if she so desires.
