INTERNAL COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE (ICC)
GOVERNMENT GENERAL DEGREE COLLEGE, MANGALKOTE
Government General Degree College, Mangalkote started its journey in 2015 with a very few numbers of students in its initial years. The most important task at that time was the proper development of the institution with all modern facilities, keeping in view that it is a rural college located in a remote area. It was only in September, 2021 that the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) came into being, according to the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. The major purpose of this committee was to spread awareness among the stakeholders (students, teachers and non-teaching members) regarding their rights at workplace irrespective of their gender. It was also the purpose of the committee to make arrangements for redressal in a time-bound manner of any complaint that is brought to the notice of the ICC.
It is important to mention here that even before the formation of the ICC, the Women’s Cell and the Visakha Cell of GGDC, Mangalkote had been instrumental in spreading awareness about harassment of any kind inside the college campus, the importance to timely report those cases and the steps to be taken for their redressal. Over the years the Women’s Cell, the Visakha Cell, the ICC and the Anti-Ragging Committee have organized many gender sensitization seminars and webinars, awareness camps, awareness through cultural programmes and poster competitions, interactive sessions with the students, displaying of posters in the college notice boards and awareness lectures by the HOI, to curb the menace of harassment and mistreatment based on gender bias.
In the future also Government General Degree College, Mangalkote will carry forward its pledge to eradicate gender-based nuisances not only from the campus, but through various outreach activities, from the greater community as well. Only then true progress would be possible.
INTERNAL COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE (ICC) RELATED TO SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT WORK PLACE (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION AND REDRESSAL) ACT, 2013.
GOVERNMENT GENERAL DEGREE COLLEGE, MANGALKOTE
In pursuance to the UGC/ Supreme Court guidelines, Government General Degree College, Mangalkote has constituted an Internal Complaints Committee for gender sensitization and handling complaints against sexual harassment. The committee addresses complaints such as discriminatory behaviour and sexual harassment lodged by any member of the college which he/she observes or becomes aware of. The committee also advices the authority to take necessary remedial actions including punishment against the offender. The committee consists of representatives from the faculty members, non-teaching staff, students and legal personnel. The composition and existing official members are as follows:
In accordance with the provisions laid down in the Sections 4(1) and 4(2) of The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (14 of 2013), the undersigned, on 07/01/2022, by exercising the authority conferred as per Section 4(g) of the said Act, has re-constituted the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of Government General Degree College, Mangalkote, Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal to look into complaints of sexual harassment by girl students and women employees working in the college.
INTERNAL COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE 2022-2023
Objectives: The committee undertakes inquiries, adhering to the principles of Natural Justice, with regard to complaints of sexual harassment from aggrieved women staff and students (as defined under the Act, 2013). The complaint is kept totally confidential, and adequate protection is provided to the complainant, whenever necessary. Necessary recommendations are provided to the College Management on the basis of the findings of the inquiry. The Committee also undertakes to sensitize students on issues regarding women’s health, gender empowerment, harassment, gender-based violence, patriarchy etc.
What Constitutes Sexual Harassment?
One or more of the following unwelcome acts or behaviours (whether directly or by implication) namely:
- Physical contact or advances; or
- A demand or request for sexual favours; or
- Making sexually coloured remarks; or
- Showing pornography; or
- Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.
Any one (or more than one or all) of the following circumstances, if it occurs or is present in relation or connected with any behaviour that has explicit or implicit sexual undertones-
- implied or explicit promise of preferential treatment as quid pro quo for sexual favours;
- implied or explicit threat of detrimental treatment in the conduct of work;
- implied or explicit threat about the present or future status of the person concerned;
- creating an intimidating offensive or hostile learning environment;
- humiliating treatment likely to affect the health, safety dignity or physical integrity of the person concerned
How to Lodge a Complaint?
An aggrieved person is required to submit a written complaint to the ICC within three months from the date of the incident and in case of a series of incidents within a period of three months from the date of the last incident. Provided that where such complaint cannot be made in writing, the Presiding Officer or any Member of the Internal Committee shall render all reasonable assistance to the person for making the complaint in writing; Provided further that the ICC may, for the reasons to be accorded in the writing, extend the time limit not exceeding three months, if it is satisfied that the circumstances were such which prevented the person from filing a complaint within the said period.” Friends, relatives, Colleagues, Co- students, Psychologist, or any other associate of the victim may file the complaint in situations where the aggrieved person is unable to make a complaint on account of physical or mental in capacity or death.
Process of Conducting Enquiry
- The ICC shall, upon receipt of the complaint, send one copy of the complaint to the respondent within a period of seven days of such receipt.
- Upon receipt of the copy of the complaint, the respondent shall file his or her reply to the complaint along with the list of documents, and names and addresses of witnesses within a period of ten days.
- The inquiry has to be completed within a period of ninety days from the receipt of the complaint. The inquiry report, with recommendations, if any, has to be submitted within ten days from the completion of the inquiry to the Executive Authority of the HEI. Copy of the findings or recommendations shall also be served on both parties to the complaint.
- The Executive Authority of the HEI shall act on the recommendations of the committee within a period of thirty days from the receipt of the inquiry report, unless an appeal against the findings is filed within that time by either party.
- An appeal against the findings or /recommendations of the ICC may be filed by either party before the Executive Authority of the HEI within a period of thirty days from the date of the recommendations.
- If the Executive Authority of the HEI decides not to act as per the recommendations of the ICC, then it shall record written reasons for the same to be conveyed to ICC and both the parties to the proceedings. If on the other hand it is decided to act as per the recommendations of the ICC, then a show cause notice, answerable within ten days, shall be served on the party against whom action is decided to be taken. The Executive Authority of the HEI shall proceed only after considering the reply or hearing the aggrieved person.
- The aggrieved party may seek conciliation in order to settle the matter. No monetary settlement should be made as a basis of conciliation. The HEI shall facilitate a conciliation process through ICC, as the case may be, once it is sought. The resolution of the conflict to the full satisfaction of the aggrieved party wherever possible, is preferred to purely punitive intervention.
- The identities of the aggrieved party or victim or the witness or the offender shall not be made public or kept in the public domain especially during the process of the inquiry.
Redressal and Action:
1. Anyone found guilty of sexual harassment shall be punished in accordance with the service rules of the HEI or the Government, if the offender is an employee.
2. Where the respondent is a student, depending upon the severity of the offence, the HEI may,-
(a) with-hold privileges of the student such as access to the library, auditoria, halls of residence, transportation, scholarships, allowances, and identity card;
(b) suspend or restrict entry into the campus for a specific period;
(c) expel and strike off name from the rolls of the institution, including denial of readmission, if the offense so warrants
(d) award reformative punishments like mandatory counselling and, or, performance of community services.
3. The aggrieved person is entitled to the payment of compensation. The HEI shall issue direction for payment of the compensation recommended by the ICC and accepted by the Executive Authority, which shall be recovered from the offender. The compensation payable shall be determined on the basis of-
(a) mental trauma, pain, suffering and distress caused to the aggrieved person;
(b) the loss of career opportunity due to the incident of sexual harassment;
(c) the medical expenses incurred by the victim for physical, psychiatric treatment;
(d) the income and status of the alleged perpetrator and victim; and
(e) the feasibility of such payment in lump sum or in installments.
ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE ICC
The Internal Complaints Committee or ICC is committed towards maintenance of an environment that tries to create equality of opportunity and equal attention to all, irrespective of their gender. The ICC of Government General Degree College, Mangalkote has actively organized many Gender-Sensitization Programmes, since its formation in September 2021.
Even before the formation of the ICC, the Women’s Cell of the college has organized gender-equality programmes and other awareness camps to promote gender-neutrality in the campus. Also, the Women’s Cell and the ICC, every year organize and celebrate, International Women’s Day.
Annual Work Reports of The Women’s Cell for The Session 2018-19:
The Women’s Cell of GGDC, Mangalkote was formed in accordance with the UGC guidelines in 2015 and has since been operative in organizing programmes and awareness camps for promoting gender-equality. This year the Women’s Cell in collaboration with the NSS unit of the college organized a programme on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The programme included motivational speech, PPT presentation to uphold gender values, and the screening of a short film on women’s rights and values.
Annual Gender-Sensitization Plan for The Session 2021-22:
- March, 2022- One-Day Online Seminarof the Women’s Cell and NSS unit, on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
- June, 2022- National Webinar on Gender Sensitization to beorganized by The Visakha Cell.
The session 2021-22 was still under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and such all academic and administrative activities, as per the order of the Government, were being conducted online.
The Women’s Cell in collaboration with the NSS unit and the IQAC, organized aOne-Day Online Seminar on 15/03/2022 to celebrate the International Women’s Day. Three distinct speakers were invited on the occasion, to present their valuable insights on different aspects of feminism:
1. Dr.RajarshiChakraborty (Assistant Professor, Department of History, University of Burdwan) talked about ‘Revisiting the Different Waves of Feminism- Understanding Their Significance.’
2. Mr Abhisek Das (Assistant Professor, Department of English, Government General Degree College Narayangarh), elaborated his opinions on the topic ‘I Choose to Unconfirm, I Choose to Unfollow- Social Constraints and Women Emancipation in India.’
3. Ms Deblina Mukherjee (Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Jhargram Raj College, Girl’sWing) discussed the topic ‘Dominated Consciousness to Critical Consciousness- The Changing Agency of Women Versus Unchanging Role Expectations.’
Further, on 09/06/22, an Online National Webinar on Gender Sensitization was organized by the Visakha Cell of GGDC, Mangalkote. Eminent scholar and ICC Coordinator, Government Girls’ General Degree College, Kolkata, Dr.MadhumitaSengraced the occasion with her lecture on Combating Patriarchy: A Story Behind the Landmark Judgement, referring to the famous Visakha case and the guidelines thereof. The different aspects and problems in spreading awareness about gender values was presented by speaker Dr.SahanaSen, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, in the topic Gender Sensitization: Issues and Challenges.
Annual Gender-Sensitization Plan for The Session 2022-23:
- March, 2023: Cultural Programme by the Women’s Cell on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
A cultural programme took place on 17/03/23, organized by the Women’s Cell where the students were encouraged participate in poster competition, poetry recitation, singing and dance performances. But each of these activities must convey a message that is women-centric. The songs and the dance performances were required to bring out the message of gender-equality. Also, the posters must each represent one aspect of gender discrimination and gender-equality. The way our students represented the various aspects of gender sensitization through their performances made the programme a huge success.
Annual Gender-Sensitization Plan for The Session 2023-24:
- September, 2023: Art and Craft Exhibition to be organized by the Women’s Cell
- October, 2023: Gender-related Webinar
- February, 2024: Gender Sensitization Workshop
- March, 2024: International Women’s Day Celebration
- March, 2024: Gender-Sensitization programme on the occasion of Zero Discrimination Day.
An Art and Craft Exhibition was organized by the Women’s Cell of GGDC, Mangalkote on the occasion of Teachers’ Day on 05/09/2023. The students were encouraged to make various handicrafts using eco-friendly items. Moreover, the exhibition was instrumental in promoting the cause of women self-help initiatives.
On the occasion of International Day of Rural Women that is celebrated every year on the 15th of October, the Visakha Cell of GGDC, Mangalkote in association with the IQAC, organized a webinar on 07/10/23, named “Upliftment of Rural Women.” The purpose of the programme was to spread awareness and recognize the role and contribution of rural women in various field of rural development. The occasion was graced by the presence and deliberations of Ms RahimaKhatun, Secretary, NariOSishuKalyanKendra, Howrah, Ex-member of Child Welfare Committee, and Ex-member of Juvenile Justice Board, Howrah.
A Two-Day Gender-Sensitization Workshop was organized by the Women’s Cell and VisakhaCell on 10.02.24 and 11.02,24 to observe the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.On this occasion two very eminent scholars talked about the contribution of women in science and research. Prof SnehabrataMukherjee, Assistant Professor, Sociology, Government General Degree College, Mohanpur and Prof Sampa Das, Senior Professor, Bose Institute and INSA Honorary Scientist, Calcutta University, delivered their lectures on the challenges faced by women in the fields of science and research and how they have overcome those obstacles.
This year International Women’s Day was organized by the Women’s Cell in association with the IQAC on 23/04/24 and the theme of the programme was Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress. Apart from cultural activities showcasing women empowerment, a poster competition was also organized to raise awareness about the importance of investing in women’s education, health, and socio-economic progress.
On 03/04/24, the Visakha Cell, the Anti-Ragging Committee, and the Women’s Cell of GGDC, Mangalkote organized a Sensitization Programme on gender, sexual harassment and rights named “My Rights-My Choices.” The programme was organized to spread awareness about the various aspects of Zero Tolerance policy.
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