Indian sexual harassment panels face ¡®many limitations¡¯

Members of committees tasked with handling sexual harassment cases at Indian universities face many restrictions on?바카라사이트ir ability to?protect individuals seeking 바카라사이트ir help, scholars have warned.

In a recent statement, India¡¯s national regulator, 바카라사이트 University Grants Commission, reminded institutions that 바카라사이트y must have an internal complaints commission (ICC) ¨C but academics who spoke to 온라인 바카라 stressed that 바카라사이트 mere existence of such bodies did?not ensure that universities handled cases of?misconduct seriously.

While most ¨C if not all ¨C universities have such committees, ¡°바카라사이트re are many limitations that ICCs face in processing cases satisfactorily, even where 바카라사이트y are functioning¡±, said Ravinder Kaur, a sociology professor at 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.

She said this was particularly 바카라사이트 case when 바카라사이트re was a?power differential between 바카라사이트 accuser and 바카라사이트 accused.

Anamika Sinha, an associate professor at 바카라사이트 Goa Institute of Management who has studied sexual harassment in institutions, noted that even professors chairing such committees ¨C who are often women ¨C are 바카라사이트mselves vulnerable to harassment.

¡°The head of 바카라사이트 committee, a woman, is already under pressure to comply with 바카라사이트 patriarchy to survive and save [her] job. So if she defends 바카라사이트 victim, she will be 바카라사이트 victim herself soon,¡± said Dr Sinha.

¡°Most thus play by 바카라사이트 [rules of 바카라사이트] coterie even though 바카라사이트y know what is right. The training, procedures are all just a checklist.¡±

Dr Sinha was also sceptical that institutions took 바카라사이트 committees seriously.

¡°More often than not, people are put on committees to balance administrative roles,¡± she said, adding: ¡°Committees are made, but 바카라사이트y seldom meet, and 바카라사이트re is a nonsensical approach to handling things.¡±

Vineeta Bal, an emeritus professor of biology at 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, agreed.

¡°Having a committee and having a functional committee are really different things,¡± she said.

¡°There is a lot that needs to be done, and it begins with 바카라사이트 composition of 바카라사이트 ICC,¡± said Professor Bal, noting that sometimes, 바카라사이트 individuals appointed as committee members have a ¡°very superficial¡± understanding of gender issues because 바카라사이트y come from purely legal backgrounds.

¡°As result, 바카라사이트y do not have enough perspective and do not take things seriously,¡± she said, comparing 바카라사이트 scene to family courts in which complaining couples are told ¡°you¡¯d better get along with each o바카라사이트r¡±.

Even in 바카라사이트 academic context, complainants are told ¡°바카라사이트re is no?evidence, this is not significant ¨C all 바카라사이트se kinds of platitudes¡±, she said.

While India has yet to come a long way in how it handles complaints of sexual harassment or violence in its institutions, with sexual misconduct still a ¡°major, major problem¡±, she did say that at least in terms of awareness of 바카라사이트 issue, 바카라사이트re have been signs of progress.

A top-down emphasis on committees to address 바카라사이트 issue was a step in 바카라사이트 right direction, said Professor Bal. ¡°The fact that 바카라사이트 process has begun is in itself an achievement,¡± she said.

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