NLU Delhi launches counter-measures to address concerns of Sexual Harassment on campus
After students took to online platforms to air their grievances regarding sexual harassment on campus, the National Law University, Delhi (NLU Delhi) has launched a series of measures to address the same.
As per a statement shared with Bar & Bench, the counter-measures taken include the constitution of an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in line with the University Grants Commission (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015 (UGC Regulations). The rules governing the functioning of the ICC have also been laid down on the University’s ICC page.
The University is also appointing facilitators to assist in the implementation of the UGC Regulations concerning sexual harassment. Further, a Gender Champion is also to be appointed as per the UGC Regulations, to facilitate an enabling environment within an academic institution where girls are treated with dignity and respect. A student, DVL Vidya, has been nominated to take up this role.
The University is also enlisting the aid of mental health professionals to counsel survivors of sexual violence.
Further, a committee has been formed comprising faculty, research staff, and alumni to recommend further measures to address issues of sexual harassment in the NLU Delhi community. The University has also constituted a group of teachers to interact with the students on gender issues and related matters to facilitate and encourage them to come forward with any grievances.
Student body representatives have also been called on in the drive against sexual harassment. The University has formed a Gender Circle and Queer Collective represented by the student body and supervised by a faculty coordinator for organizing events/panel discussions etc. on various gender-centric issues.
Several measures also aim to sensitise the NLU Delhi community on the issue of sexual harassment. To this end, the University will be working towards conducting more seminars and training programmes on the subject.
As part of these efforts, the University said that it is finalizing an arrangement with a leading organization to organize anti-sexual harassment training programmes for its administrative and contractual staff.
A number of women students and alumni had taken to social media to recount harrowing instances of sexual harassment they were subject to by their male peers in the past. The administration was prompted to take note of the same, with Vice-Chancellor Dr. Ranbir Singh informing the students about preliminary measures including appointment of mental health professionals with expertise in sexual violence, and assigning a number of faculty members for the victims to approach.
Read full statement below: