1. Manthan Theme: Walk to Equality – Ensuring Safety
and Empowerment of Women
Women Grievance Redressal Cell
A New and Efficient System to Thwart and Indict Sexual
Harassment Against Women in University Campuses
Team Details:
Prateek Srivastava Radhika Chatterjee
Parikshit Chadha Priya Kumari Akash Srivastava
2. In a Country of Around 600 Universities, Female Verbal/Physical Harassment in the
Campus Premises is a Problem Far from Being Addressed
Physically
Harassed
12%
31.14%
Neither
Physically
, Nor
Verbally
Harassed
67%
Verbally
Harassed
Result of a Survey Conducted By
RationalAvenue & Strength Heralds
Empowerment, in Banaras Hindu University
10.14%
Both, Verbally and
Physically Harassed
Some Examples of the Disconcerting State of the Indian Universities
In Banaras Hindu University,
67% of the girls have at least once been Verbally Harassed
12% of them have at least once been physically harassed
55% of the verbal harassers, and 22% of the physical harassers
have been the BHU Students
3% of the verbal harassers and 17% of the physical harassers
have been the faculty members
42% of the verbal harassers and 61% of the physical harassers
have been the outsiders/unidentified(s)
82% of the cases go unreported
For the reported cases, 71% of the times Actions are not taken
3. Surveys Published in Times of India
and India Today Bring up Several
Distressing Facts:
One in two girls in DU North
Campus has been sexually
harassed, and that too
between 2 and 5 times
75% of the incidents have
taken place in broad daylight
Only 4% of them have
reported these to police
97% of the girls in Lala Lajpat
Rai college in Mumbai have
been sexually harassed
Only 5% of them have
reported it to police
53% of them said they were
scared of reacting
Snapshot of the Solution Proposed
Adopting a proper and efficient three-faceted solution is the only way
forward
Precautionary Solution
Arming the campuses with proper infrastructure like CCTV cameras
Setting up proper and functional helpline number
Including Lady Proctor Patrolling with enhanced powers
Educative Solution
Organizing regular workshops/seminars to create relevant awareness.
Including relevant subjects in the course curriculum
Punitive Solution
Setting up an efficient, fully functional, and powerful Women Cell
Adopting bold policies on bringing the culprits to justice
4. The Women Cell should comprise at least 50% female members and at least 25% male
members
The constitution of such a Women Cell should be mandatory for all the universities/big-
institutes. Upon failure on the same, the first warning from the NCW/centre/state should be
accompanied by a penalty, and the second one should lead to serious repercussions like
license cancellation/management churning, etc.
The base level of the cell should comprise of students of the institution, comprising of at least
50% female students. This level would ensure a frank interaction of the harassed student with
the cell as it is always easy to communicate with same age group people.
The higher level of the cell should comprise of Faculty members like proctors, professors to
ensure a serious hearing of the cases that come into view.
There should be a professional counselor for the counseling of the harassed as well as the
harasser. Counseling of the harasser may lead to realization of the seriousness of the crime
committed by harasser.
The women cell should be connected to police station, emergency patrolling vehicles and
administration office of the city.
Building up of a Powerful Women Cell – A Team of People of Resources & Clouts so as
to Discourage Such Incidences and Resolving the Transpired Ones
5. Role/Position Member Rationale
Chairperson Chancellor/Vice-Chancellor/Director The topmost official should directly be
involved in all the cases, and should be
privy to the ground realities. It would also
deter faculty heads/deans/principals from
indulging in sexual harassments
2
nd
in Command One National Commission of Women
(NCW) Representative, Answerable to
the Chairperson of NCW
An external involvement from under the
government representation would help
keep internal politics at bay and would
engender fear in the perpetrators’ heart
Counselor One lady counselor (psychologist) Proper counseling should be provided to
the girls having undergone the trauma
Team of Deans Some Deans/Principals and other heads
of faculties
It would deter faculty professors and other
helping staff from indulging in such
behaviors
Team of Professors Some faculty members/professors It would deter students from indulging in
such behaviors
Team of Students One Female and One Male
representative
The cell should have a point of
contact/complain for girls who they are
comfortable sharing with
The Women Cell – Roles & Rationales
6. Roles and actions of the Women cell
1. Educative roles:
Seminars/workshops can be held from time to time
Course curriculum
Pamphlets/hoardings displaying helpline no(s) should be set up
Counseling of the victim by the psychologist
2. Precautionary roles:
Setting up CCTV cameras
Better and more street lights
Increased number of lady proctor guards
Blue-booths
Helpline numbers available 24*7
Bus routes close to girls hostel with two lady proctors in each bus
3. Punitive roles:
Speedy resolution of the cases
Booking of the guilty with serious warnings/directions to apologize and/or
rustication of the same on repeat behavior and/or depending upon the
severity of the action
Maintaining secretive the complainant’s name in view of possible adverse
implications
7. COMPLAINT
Process Of Grievance Redressal
IMMEDIATE ACTION PROCEDURAL ACTION
1. CALLING
HELPLINE
NUMBER
2. DIALLING
PATROLLING
VEHICLE
NUMBER
3. CALLING
POLICE
STATION
4. CONTACTING
WOMEN CELL
GOING TO STUDENT
COUNCIL OF THE CELL
TAKING THE CASE TO
ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT OF
THE CELL
COUNCELLING STUDENT
.TAKING REQUIRED
MEASURES
TAKING THE CASE TO
POLICE, ADMINISTRATION
OF THE CITY
8. EFFECTIVE MACHINERY
Formation of blue booth
Blue booth would consist of a
telephone booth consisting of an
emergency telephone connected to
helpline and police station as well
as CCTV cameras installed in the
booth.
The booth would be installed at
proper places within the campus.
CCTV cameras would ensure that if
a female student enters the booth
the harasser would dare not enter
the booth for the fear of being
identified. The student can then
patiently wait for the help to
come.
FUTURE SOLUTION
Formation of GPS tracking system
A GPS tracking cell in every
institution can be set up which
would be able to track the
location of the student when she
wants to.
GPS chips would be installed on
the Student ID cards at the time of
admissions, GPS tracking can be
turned on/off as per student’s
wish. An emergency button can be
installed on the ID for easy raising
of alert when needed, alert would
be displayed instantly on GPS cell
in institution, which can contact
nearby police station for help.
9. Impact of The Proposed System
Proper resolution of harassment cases would discourage people from
committing such acts.
Speedy solution would ensure that girls come up with their problems without
hesitation and fear.
CCTV cameras, blue booth’s, regular patrolling would lead to dwindling down
of such incidents.
Effective provision of helpline numbers and security would ensure a feeling of
safety in heart’s of girl students.
Great number of lady proctors would make up for the apathy in male proctor.
Creation of a healthy environment for girls would ensure that they are able to
exploit the best of their talents.
10. Challenges and mitigation
Challenges
Generating the required manpower
Setting up such a wide and inclusive network of the CCTV cameras
Maintaining the 24*7 helpline sensitivity
Bringing the victims around to complaining
Educating the perpetrator mass
11. Mitigations(respectively)
Central government should mandate a representation of the NCW in the women
cell. A trained psychiatrist should be hired. Deans/principals should be nominated by
the chancellor. Students should preferably be from law/humanity background
Infrastructure should be developed in collaboration with a networking company.
The cost should be borne jointly by the government and the university(as in case the
university is asked to entirely bear the cost, it might get deterred)
Government should set up call centers that exclusively handle helpline calls from
universities. Upon any complaint call, the respective university’s authorities should
be informed immediately via phone calls
Educative measures need to be adopted to encourage girls to complain. As actions
speak louder than words, speedy resolution of the filed cases and penal actions
against the perpetrators is bound to encourage them
Seminars/workshops should be organized to try and let boys feel how it feels on
being sexually harassed. Such subjects can be included in the course curriculum as
well
