E-Paper
Sexual harassment: Panjab University panel pushes for more stringent rules
Wants new policy to penalise research scholars, students too; syndicate to take call at January 18 meeting
Panjab University syndicate will on January 18 take up the amendments in service rules as suggested by a panel for swift and stringent punishment in sexual harassment cases.
At present, the university follows a tedious mechanism to deal with cases of sexual harassment.
Through the amendments, recommended by the committee in May 2018, the university plans to incorporate revised provisions in the handbook to punish staff found guilty under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (SHWW) Act, 2013.
Besides, it plans to frame a policy to also punish students and research scholars under the provisions of the Act, as service rules do not apply to them.
The panel had suggested that an employee facing proceedings for sexual harassment under Panjab University Committee Against Sexual Harassment (PUCASH) can be recommended to be suspended.
Currently, the support of 2/3 members of the senate is required to terminate services of a PU teacher on grounds of incapacity, inefficiency or serious misconduct. It was recommended that if a teacher is found guilty of sexual harassment by PUCASH, only simple majority of those present and voting be needed.
Besides, action on PUCASH report should be taken as soon as possible within 60 days, as mandated by law.
The panel wanted introduction of definitions of sexual harassment of women at workplace and instances, which may amount to sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment was recommended to be defined as “physical contact and advances” or a “demand of sexual favour” or “making sexually coloured remarks” or “showing pornography” or “any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature”.
It was suggested that to deal with false and malicious complaints of sexual harassment, PUCASH may recommend action against the complainant, and witnesses giving false evidence.
In May 2018, the PU senate had terminated the services of assistant professor Komal Singh of the public administration department, but not before three years of discussions.
PUCASH had found Singh guilty in several cases reported by students.
In one such case, a postgraduate student on September 10, 2015, had accused him of indulging in “sexual talks” with her. In another case, he was accused of entering a class in an inebriated condition in August 2017 and misbehaving with girl students.
When Singh’s case came up for discussion before the Senate on April 1, of the 51 members, 32 senators voted for his termination, 18 voted for his demotion and one vote was declared invalid.
Despite the majority deciding on his termination, a decision could not be could in the absence of two-thirds majority.
