DU elects members on internal panels to deal with harassment

There was lack of awareness among students about the ICC election so we extended the nomination date. We will hold the election within March.

P HEMLATHA REDDY, Principal,

Sri Venkateswara College

NEWDELHI: Many Delhi University colleges held polls to elect three students’ representatives for the internal complaints committee (ICC) that deals with sexual harassment.

Most colleges said they completed the poll and announced the results by evening. Others said they would conduct the election in the coming days as there was not enough awareness among students regarding the process.

Last month, the university had written to all colleges to conduct elections to the college complaints committees on March 12.

The move came after a series of allegations of sexual harassment against teachers by students and faculty members.

At least two DU students had filed FIRS against their teachers, accusing them of having sexually harassed them.

One former guest teacher filed an FIR against a college principal on charges of sexual harassment.

The university noted that the composition of the college complaints committee and gender sensitization committee was not in accordance with the guidelines in many colleges.

Proctor Neeta Sehgal had said though most colleges had an ICC, many of them did not have elected student representatives.

Sehgal did not respond to calls and text message seeking her response on the matter.

At Kirori Mal College, out of the 5,200 students, only 833 voted in the poll. “Three student repre-

frompageone sentatives were elected. 833 votes were casted in the poll, which is similar to the number of votes during college union election,” said principal Dinesh Khattar.

At Hans Raj college, there were only three nominations. “There was no need for polls as we had only three nomination and hence they were elected unopposed,” said Alka Kacker, one of the faculty members involved with the election process.

P Hemlatha Reddy, principal Sri Venkateswara college, said they had communicated to the university that they would hold the election at a later date. “There was lack of awareness among students about the ICC election so we extended the nomination date. We will hold the election within March,” she said.

As per the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations, 2015 on Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions, the ICC should have three elected student representatives.