An RTI I filed revealed that a dismal 188 universities have submitted their ICC reports to the UGC (University Grants Commission) out of a total 935, as of February 2020. This is a blatant violation of the UGC POSH mandate. However there has been no reported repercussion any university faced despite several reported violations.
The number is shocking and dismal. The number means that only 188 out of 935 total universities currently do have a functioning ICC; there’s no other formal check on others. These ICC reports are the only mandated mechanism to check the compliance of a university ICC & complaints it has handled.
Every signatory of this petition knows why an ICC is important. An Internal Complaints Committee is the only official body that is to mandatorily be present in every Indian university to deal with responses to sexual harassment. There’s already a tabooed culture of silence, gaslighting, and pearl clutching. An ICC is an official helpful body which students often find less formidable to approach than the police. An ICC also ensures victims get the help they need & aid due process should the complainant choose to pursue police or legal action.
Students have already been suffering due to defunct ICCs. The recent molestation case at all-women Gargi college revealed how the ICC didn’t follow mandates & neglected issues. It took a terrifying instance of harassment for the admin to check its apathy.
For every sexual harassment case, there are enough cries gaslighting the rage, & asking to invoke ‘due process’. Closer inspection of due process reveals how broken & exasperating it is. We have to press UGC to fix its accountability mechanisms & proactively address the underlying misogynistic subcultures.
It has been more than a decade since the Right To Education Act. Every student has the right to safe, nurturing education spaces. So many of us have been asking for safer, more accountable universities with active, compliant ICCs. And we're growing in strength.
High time decision makers in this country take cognisance of serious POSH violations. They must act. NOW. Please continue to share this petition and its updates. Thank you for your support for #SaferCampusesNOW.