UGC’s New Guidelines For Female Student And Employee’s Safety Are Well Thought Of
Irrespective of where a woman is – whether in school/college or in an office setting – her safety is always a matter of concern. Having said that, there is no denying that many steps are being taken to address this and other issues concerning women. One of the most recent steps has been taken by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which established new guidelines that focus on creating a safe and gender-equitable space for women in colleges and higher education institutions (HEIs). The guidelines are made in a way that ensures that the priority is a safe and violence-free environment for students – especially female students.
After multiple cases from Chandigarh University to IIT Madras came out about crimes being committed against female students, the University Grants Commission (UGC) came up with these guidelines. In fact, earlier this year, it also established a committee that focused on analyzing and revising the safety regulations that are already established.
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As per reports, the new guidelines set by the UGC are a step towards creating a safe, secure, gender-equitable, and violence-free environment for students – especially female students. Here are some of the points that are highlighted in the guidelines:
1. Every college, university, and educational institution should have an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).
2. UGC also recommends that all the students should be given a handbook with comprehensive information on the policies and guidelines for proper conduct at the time of admission itself.
3. The handbook also should include contact information for the ICC members, student counselors, anti-ragging cell, health center, and other university officials so that the students can use them in case of an emergency.
4. UGC also seeks to have on-campus professional counseling services that can be accessible to students and can treat both – their psychological and emotional – difficulties.
Also Read: IIT Bombay Imposes Tighter Security Measures To Ensure Safety Of Female Students. We’re Glad Concrete Steps Are Taken
5. UGC has also asked to cover all the public areas on campus – like streets, libraries, playgrounds, sports arenas, parking lots, and other places – by CCTV so as to keep a track of the conduct and activities of students, staff, and visitors.
6. UGC has also asked universities to promote a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to cases of sexual harassment and gender-based prejudice on campus.
7. UGC has also asked HEIs to provide more female dormitories so that all female students who opted for dormitory accommodation can have access to it.
8. UGC also has asked to have enough female security officers employed from well-known security companies on campuses.
9. The UGC guidelines also require the HEIs to submit quarterly reports that highlight the measures they have taken for the safety and security of female students and employees on the campuses.
Ngl, these guidelines stated by the UGC are a step in the right direction. And if followed correctly, then the chances of cases of crimes against women will exponentially decrease. Only time will tell how these guidelines are implemented and the impact it had.
First Published: October 26, 2022 1:59 PM
