UGC notifies guidelines to set up women cell in institutes

NEW DELHI: University of Grants Commission (UGC) has notified guidelines for setting up women cell in institutes. The committee set up by the UGC observed that there “a strong need to challenge the culture of silence that perpetuates the acts of violence against women, be it within the campus or outside.

The committee was established again by the UGC in 2022 and was responsible for reviewing and updating the safety guidelines for implementation.

UGC guidelines said that the gender sensitisation of every individual on the campus including the vice chancellor, registrar, the principal, the administrative officers, students, “will pave the way for making our campuses safe and secure for women”.

The committee recommended that its report namely “Saksham: Measures for ensuring the Safety of Women and Programmes for Gender Sensitisation on Campuses” should act as a handbook for developing gender sensitisation programmes in HEIs and should be circulated in the institutes.

The UGC guidelines can be broadly divided into two - infrastructural facilities and amenities for a safe and secure environment and women cells for sensitization, policy implementation, monitoring and grievance redressal.

The commission directed institutes to share a handbook about rules and regulations regarding proper conduct and behaviour expected of them during the admission process. It said that the handbook should have a list of helpline numbers of ICC members, student counsellors, anti-ragging cell, proctor office, medical emergencies, health centre, canteen, and other university authorities to be approached in case of need.

“Professional counseling services should be available on the campus to address the psychological and emotional concerns of the students,” it added.

The universities should ensure easy access to basic sanitation and hygiene facilities for women such as clean, well maintained and fully functioning separate restrooms equipped with 24 hours tap water supply, soap, covered dustbins, sanitary pad disposal bins and vending machines in all its buildings.

"It should ensure easy access to basic sanitation and hygiene facilities for women such as clean, well maintained and fully functioning separate restrooms equipped with 24 hours tap water supply, soap, covered dustbins, sanitary pad disposal bins and vending machines in all its buildings," it added.