DCW asks varsities for details of sexual harassment committees

New Delhi: Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Wednesday directed 23 universities and educational institutions in the national capital to submit details of their sexual harassment committees and status of the complaints registered with them so far.
In a written communication to Vice Chancellors and institutional heads, the DCW chief also asked for an account of the funds allocated to these committees and the expenditure incurred during the last financial year.
“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. Accordingly, you are directed to provide information with regard to colleges in Delhi affiliated to your university,” Maliwal said in the letter.
Stating that the data will assist the commission in fulfilling its statutory mandate of giving recommendations to the Centre and state government on the issue of women’s safety in educational institutions, Maliwal has asked for, “details of the Sexual Harassment Committee (Internal Complaints Committee) in university and its colleges with name and designation of the members of the committee along with the date of its formation”.
In the letter, she has also asked for “details and copies of existing mechanisms, policies and rules to deal with sexual harassment complaints of both employees and students and number of complaints received during last session and action taken on them so far.”
The universities and institutions which have been asked to provide these details include Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Hamdard University, Delhi Technological University, IIT Delhi, IGNOU, Ambedkar University, AIIMS, National School of Drama and Indian Institute of Mass Communication, among others.
The move comes against the backdrop of a sexual harassment row in Delhi University’s reputed St Stephen’s College.
The commission had on Tuesday summoned college principal Valson Thampu and professor Satish Kumar to appear before it on August.