External Members In Internal Complaints Committees

External Members In Internal Complaints Committees

The mandate of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is to implement the schemes of educational, economic and social empowerment of Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Senior citizens, victims of substance abuse and Transgender persons and Persons with various forms of disabilities. However, as per Section 4 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prosecution, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 provides for constitution of a Committee to be known as the Internal Complaint Committee by the employer. The Act has a provision for one external member in the Committee under clause (c) of Sub-Section (2) of Section 4. The provisions of this Act are applicable to all the Workplaces or administrative units including School, Colleges. Section 26 of the Act contains a provision of penalty upon the employer for non-compliance with the provisions of the Act.

 

It is also stated that the Government has notified University Grants Commission (Prevention, prohibition and redressal of sexual harassment of women employees and students in higher educational institutions) Regulations, 2015. The clause 5 of the Regulations provides for responsibility of Internal Complaint Committee to display prominently the contact details of the authorities of concerned committees and also to protect the safety of the Complainant by not divulging the persons identity and provide the mandatory relief by way of sanctioned leave or relaxation of attendance requirement or transfer to another department or supervisor as required during the pendency of the complaint or also provide for the transfer of the offender.

Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan has taken the following measures to incentivize the students and workplace victims to lodge a complaint:-

1. A complaint box is maintained at every work place.
2. On-line complaint mechanism has also been introduced through KVS website.
3. The complaints, if any, received even from family members/relatives are also given due cognizance.
4. In all training programmes a component of gender sensitization is kept in modules to bring awareness among the trainees.

This information was given by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Vijay Sampla in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.