NIET Rules against Sexual Harassment

1.Background

(a) Sexual harassment is a human rights violation, an infringement on life and liberty and a serious form of gender-based discrimination. Such behaviour is an affront to dignity, gender, equality, and fundamental rights.
(b)Sexual harassment is contrary to anti-discrimination provisions in the Constitution of India: Article 15: “Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth” and Article 19(1)(g): Right to freedom which upholds a woman’s right “to practice any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business”.
(c) Sexual Harassment is an offence under The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 No. 14 of 2013. Section 3(1): No woman shall be subjected to sexual harassment at any workplace.
(d) Educational Institutes are bound by the same Act (Section 2 (o) work place includes - (ii) any private sector organisation or a private venture, undertaking, enterprise, institution, establishment, society, trust, non-governmental organisation, unit or service provider carrying on commercial…distribution or service.”) Following this, NIET is committed to uphold the constitutional mandate ensuring the above-mentioned human rights of all those who fall within its jurisdiction. It is with this object that these rules have been framed.

2. Objectives and Scope of the Rules against Sexual Harassment

a) These rules restate the commitment of NIET to create and maintain a community suitable i.e. free of all sexual harassment, for all its member so that they can work together in harmony.
b)In framing the rules and procedures the Spirit of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013, and the Supreme Court judgement have been followed. These Rules and Procedures apply to all the students, academic staffs, faculty members, non-teaching staffs, officers of NIET, the members of the authorities and the committee of NIET as well as to service providers and outsiders.
c) In order to implement these Rules, a Women Grievances Redressal Cell (WGRC) shall be appointed whose composition is described below.

3. Definitions of Sexual Harassment

(a)Sexual Harassment in the given context is described in The Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2013 in Paragraph 2(n) as: “sexual harassment” includes any one of the following unwelcome act or behaviour.

i. physical contacts and advances; or
ii. a demand or request for sexual favours; or
iii. making sexually coloured remarks; or
iv. showing pornography; or
v. any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature;

b) Within NIET the definition of the above applies to both men and women and also includes harassment by a member of another member of the same sex.
c) The key expression in the above definition is ‘unwelcome’ which indicates the unwanted and non- consensual nature of the behaviour in question.
d) The overwhelming dominant form of sexual harassment is that committed by men against women. However, it could also be committed by women against men or occur between persons of the same gender.

Gender Sensitization This works in creating awareness about gender issues and working towards creating an equilibrium where both men and women can work together with a sense of personal security and dignity.

WOMEN GRIEVANCES REDRESSAL CELL

In order to maintain safety and security for the girl students and women employees, a cell has been constituted for redressal of grievances. The WGRC stays alert and active to prevent any sexual abuse towards the students and female workers. If the students face any harassment on the campus, they can complain to the women grievance cell. The cell members look into the issues, gather the evidence, and take necessary action against the guilty.

Director / Deans / HODs also assist regularly in attending to these problems. The cell maintains the records of the grievances, actions recommended and taken and the settlement of the grievances. The cell is headed by a senior lady faculty member (the Convenor) and six faculty members, who form the core group. The Director and the Proctor are the ex-officio members of this Core group. Each department has at least one faculty member representative, as part of the larger body of WGRC.

Complaints can be made, in writing, to the Director/ Convenor or any of the other members or in the complaint box placed at strategic locations in the hostel/ outside the WGRC Convenor’s Office. Boxes are opened once a month and checked. Any grievance found in it is scrutinized and necessary actions are immediately taken by the cell. In case of emergency, the Director sets up a committee and the problem is attended to immediately. The cell has resolved all difficulties amicably ever since it was set up in 2012.

WGRCCell

List of members:

Convener: Dr Ghazala Naaz (Prof and Head, English)

9873431809

Core Committee:

S.No	Name of Faculty	Designation	Contact Number
1.	Dr Rupa Mazumder	Dean, Pharmacy	9873963644
2.	Prof ReshamM	Head, DMS	9910481933
3.	Prof Vineet Verma	(DSW)	9911483519
4.	Dr Rakhi Mishra	Associate Prof, Pharmacy	7906833682
5.	Ms Pooja Tyagi Member secretary	WGRC	9717625050

Department Representatives:

S.No	Department	Name of Faculty	Contact Number	Email
1	CSE	Ms Chitvan Gupta	9958011755	chitvangupta@gmail.com
2	ECE	Ms Nidhi Sharma	9873716529	sonikaush07@gmail.com
3	ENE	Ms Ragini Malviya	8527486487	ragini.malviya@gmail.com
4	ME	Ms Nisha Yadav	7982872819	nynisha@gmail.com
5	CE	Ms DeebaQuadir	8920483468	deebaquadir@rediffmail.com
6	CH	Ms Priyanka Goyal	-	-
7	BT	Ms Meenu Agarwal	7065556698	meenuagarwal06@gmail.com
8	MBA	Ms Smita Barik	9811327410	bariksmita@gmail.com
9	MCA	Mr Rajeev Kumar	9350269138	crajiv1978@gmail.com
10	IT	Ms Isha Mittal	9818614615	ishimital2@gmail.com
11	Plot 14	Dr Shweta Vishnoi	7982055616	dr.shwetavishnoi@gmail.com