NEW DELHI: A faculty member of Delhi University’s Department of Political Science has been compulsorily retired after the university’s Executive Council (EC) accepted recommendations of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in a sexual harassment case, officials said on Friday.
The decision was approved at the EC meeting held on Thursday. “Following an ICC recommendation, the professor’s penalty was compulsory retirement. The original complaint pertained to a PhD scholar allegedly being harassed,” a university official said.
According to the official, the complaint is more than a year old but was taken up this year. The ICC completed its inquiry and submitted its report, which was accepted by the EC.
“The university has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment and will continue to implement measures aimed at ensuring a safe and secure environment for students and staff,” the official added.
Under the University Grants Commission regulations and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, the ICCs are empowered to investigate complaints of sexual harassment and recommend action. This is the second such instance of a Delhi University faculty member being compulsorily retired.
Bharati College case
In the earlier case, Dr Amit Kumar of Bharati College was accused by students in 2018 of sending sexually explicit messages. The ICC found the allegations credible and recommended strict action.