The University Grants Commission (Prevention, Prohibition And Redressal Of Sexual Harassment Of Women Employees And Students At Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015- An Analysis Of Its Applicability And Interpretation

Abstract

Sexual harassment of women in the workplace is a burning issue in the nation, particularly after the recent RG Kar Medical College and Hospital incident in Kolkata. Sexual harassment in the workplace and more precisely sexual harassment of women employees and students in Higher Educational Institutions is not a much talked about topic. Experience shows that Institutions are apathetic to such incidents and most often there is a hush-hush attempt to hide the incident. Many times, students are discouraged from voicing out their grievances or traumas. In this background, the article is an attempt to analyze a few perspectives of the “University Grants Commission (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students at Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015”. The article mainly attempts to understand the concept of sexual harassment in the workplace particularly, in higher educational institutions, and understand who all are covered under the Regulations and also looks into the Constitution of the ICC. Though the Regulations contain several other provisions as well, in this article the author attempts to highlight the analysis and interpretation of four core issues- the concept of sexual harassment; the applicability of the Regulation; the concept of workplace, and the constitution of ICC. A critical approach has been adopted to understand these issues.