Internal Complaint Committee

Policy
In accordance with the UGC (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015 (referred to as UGC Regulation), Girijananda Chowdhury University, Assam (GCU) has establish an independent regulatory framework to ensure preventive, remedial, and/or disciplinary actions against sexual harassment involving its employees and students. The university is dedicated to fostering an environment that is devoid of all types of gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment. A zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment will be upheld, and the university will ensure prompt and adequate compliance with the directives outlined in the UGC Regulation.

Internal Complaint Committee (ICC)
Girijananda Chowdhury University provides a congenial atmosphere and equal opportunities to all and the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) has been constituted with an aim to sensitise the students and staff to work diligently so as to prevent sexual harassment in the university campus. However, if there are any complaints involving physical contacts or advances, demand for sexual favours, sexually tainted remarks, and any unwelcome physical, verbal or nonverbal expressions of a sexual nature, it is addressed and appropriate action is taken. All such complaints of sexual harassment, if any shall be lodged with the ICC and appropriate disciplinary action is initiated by the members in accordance to the rules and regulations of the University.

Functions of ICC
ICC has two major functions –
Preventive
 To work towards creating an atmosphere promoting equality, non-discrimination and gender sensitivity.
 To promote and facilitate measures to create a work environment that is free of sexual harassment.
Remedial
 To receive and take cognizance of complaints made about sexual harassment at the university and give every complaint serious consideration.
 To conduct enquiries into the complaints, place findings and recommendations regarding penalties against the harasser.

What is Sexual harassment?
Any form of discrimination that includes unwelcome attention of sexual nature is considered sexual harassment and may include (but not restricted to) any of these –
 Sexual advances, requests or demand for sexual favours, either explicitly or implicitly, in return for employment, promotion or examination.
 Eve teasing, unwelcome invitations meet outside office, suggestive comments or jokes, physical confinement against one’s will and intruding one’s privacy.
 Act or conduct when one’s behaviour within a workplace creates an environment that is difficult or uncomfortable for a person belonging to the opposite sex.
 Any unsolicited gesture by an employee having sexual hints.
 Physical contact and advances.
 Demand or request for sexual favours.
 Staring, leering or unwelcome touching.
 Suggestive comments or jokes.
 Showing pornography.
 Undesirable physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.

Who can approach ICC?
Any aggrieved woman who has suffered harassment at workplace can approach ICC. Aggrieved woman includes:
 Woman who is an employee, or
 Someone visiting the workplace, or
 Student
Note: A legal heir or a person prescribed can make a complaint on behalf of the woman, if the aggrieved is unable to do so on account of physical, mental capacity or death.