CHENNAI: In a significant step towards strengthening the redressal mechanism for sexual harassment complaints in higher education institutions, the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE) has decided to conduct a comprehensive training programme for members of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs). The initiative is aimed at ensuring that complaints of sexual harassment are addressed with greater sensitivity, efficiency, and adherence to legal protocols.
The training, scheduled to begin in October, comes in the wake of concerns raised by students and activists over mishandling of several sexual harassment cases in colleges and universities across the state. Many of these cases, according to sources, have been delayed, dismissed prematurely, or dealt with in a manner that retraumatises survivors, said a TANSCHE official.
TANSCHE officials emphasised that while ICCs were constituted in accordance with the University Grants Commission (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015, there remain serious gaps in their functioning-largely due to lack of training, awareness, and empathy among committee members.
“The objective of this training is to ensure that ICC members understand their responsibilities under the law, and more importantly, approach each case with sensitivity and without bias,” said TANSCHE vice-chairman MP Vijayakumar.
“The programme will cover legal provisions, survivor-centric approaches, documentation, confidentiality protocols, and techniques to avoid secondary victimisation,”he added.
Women rights activists, experts from the fields of law, psychology, gender studies, and human rights will also conduct the sessions. “Both government and private higher educational institutions in the state will be covered in a phased manner,”said Vijayakumar.