DNA SPECIAL | Delhi University fails sexual harassment fight test

About 70% Delhi University (DU) colleges have Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) to deal with sexual harassment cases, but they are mostly on paper and students even in those institutions do not have any clue about the mandatory autonomous bodies, a DNA reality-check has revealed. The finding is crucial as it comes at a time when two cases of sexual harassment have been reported from DU within a week.

University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines on sexual harassment make it mandatory for colleges to have properly constituted ICCs, each with a presiding officer (woman), two faculty members, two non-teaching staff, a representative from an NGO and three elected student representatives. The guidelines also say students should be made aware of ICCs.

When a female student from Bharti College reached out to the Vice-Chancellor on Tuesday, alleging sexual harassment by a male teacher, authorities asked why she did not approach the ICC. She said, "There are no elected student representative in the committee and we don't know about other members. Who would have I approached?"

Principal Mukti Sanyal also said, "We don't have a student representative as we have not received a complaint from a student before." The college has now issued a notification, requesting applications for election of student representatives. "We are not aware of any such body in our college. I have never seen any poster or notice related to any ICC on our campus. That's why there should be elections for student representatives".

"It's much easier for students to reach out to their peers," said Mahima Singh, a first-year student at Daulat Ram College, from where the second case of sexual harassment has been reported.

Students from IP College for Women, Vivekananda College, Shivaji College and SGTB Khalsa, among others, also have similar complaints. "There have to be elected student representatives in all colleges when all other members are being nominated by principals. We cannot be sure of an unbiased inquiry in such situations," said Diksha Sharma, second-year student at Vivekananda College.

In the recent past, only a few DU colleges, including Miranda House, Hindu College and Ramjas College, have conducted elections for the posts. Whereas, all other colleges, including the most-sought after ones such as Hansraj College and Lady Sri Ram College (LSR), have ad-hoc students on ICCs. "We have different elected students' bodies that work with the ICC on a regular basis," said Tripti Bassi, a faculty member of LSR's ICC.

Similarly, Alka Kakkar, a member of Hansraj College's ICC, said, "We are following revised guidelines of the Centre that say it is no longer mandatory to have elected student members. Everything else is in place."

Experts, however, rubbished the claims and said that the May, 2016 University directive that followed the UGC guidelines clearly states that colleges should have "free and fair elections" for students' representatives.

"There has to be elections for student representative. Having members of other student bodies in ICC is a mockery of the whole system," said Ramjas College professor Vinita Chandra, who is active on women's rights issues on the campus. "Students can even approach the UGC in case of any such violation," she said.

Meanwhile, Namita Ranganathan, presiding officer of DU's ICC, said, "It is the sole duty of colleges to make students aware about the members and functioning of their ICCs. There cannot be any doubt in their minds about their safety and security on the campuses."

The rule

• UGC guidelines make it mandatory for colleges to have proper ICCs, each with a presiding officer (woman), 2 faculty members, 2 non-teaching staff, a representative from an NGO & 3 elected student representatives.