University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed universities and colleges to ensure constitution of an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) and a special cell to deal with gender-based violence and conduct gender sensitization programmes. Universities have been directed to fill the online compliance of gender audit on Saksham portal and update the affiliated colleges about the same.
ICC will act in accordance with the provision of UGC (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Higher Students) education Institution) Regulations, 2015. Earlier, the UGC had told the universities in a notice that Ensure enrollment of ‘Gender Champions’ among students who will lead the effort to make campuses more gender-inclusive.
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These ‘gender champions’ can be boys and girls over the age of 16 enrolled in educational institutions. Their primary task will be to ensure an environment within their educational institution where girls are treated with dignity and respect, read the UGC notice.
As per the guidelines, they should mainstream gender equality through group discussions, poster competitions and debates, identify and address gender gaps in classrooms, and awareness programs such as workshops, theme-based plays, painting competitions and films. should be organized.
The UGC had also asked various institutions to set up women helpline numbers, police and hospital helplines as well as organize exposure visits in villages, blocks, districts and cities to facilitate knowledge about gender equality.
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The Gender Champions will be appointed by the Head of the Educational Institution in consultation with the student representatives after evaluating the candidates on the basis of their “intelligence, decisiveness and integrity”.
Educational institutions should also appoint nodal teachers to monitor and facilitate the functioning of Gander Champion. The selected teacher participates in all the meetings organized by the Gender Champions and also collects, assesses and sends the quarterly reports of the Gender Champions to the Head of the Institution. Gender champions will be awarded a certificate of appreciation for their efforts to promote gender sensitivity on campus.
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