New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Tuesday constituted a four-member fact-finding committee to probe the death of the student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College after a self-immolation attempt due to alleged harassment by a senior faculty member of the institute.
The probe panel headed by Raj Kumar Mittal, UGC member and professor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, has also been asked to suggest measures to prevent such incidents in future.
The other members are former commission member Prof Sushma Yadav and Gujarat University Vice-Chancellor Dr Neerja Gupta, with Dr Ashima Mangla, UGC Joint Secretary, as the coordinating officer.
The incident has posed serious questions on adherence to UGC’s regulations, regarding constitution of internal complaints committees (ICC), by higher educational institutions (HEIs) in the state, as well as the level of awareness among students regarding these platforms for addressing harassment complaints.
It was alleged that FM college did not have a functional ICC till the deceased student, Soumyashree Bisi (20), brought sexual harassment allegations against Samira Kumar Sahu, who headed the education department at the institute. The nine-member ICC – three faculty members, two non-faculty members, a social activist and three students of the college – was constituted on July 1, a day after she filed a complaint with college principal Dilip Ghosh, alleging that HoD had threatened to fail her in the examinations over low attendance if she did not agree to his demand for favours.
TERM OF REFERENCE FOR UGC PROBE PANEL
According to the office order, the committee will examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, including availability/effectiveness of institutional policies, grievance redressal mechanism, anti-harassment measures adopted and student support systems. “Status of compliance by the institution to the provisions of the University Grants Commission (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015, notified on May 2, 2016, and other guidelines as issued by UGC from time to time, specifically the institution’s compliance to the provisions of Regulation 3 of these UGC Regulations stipulating therein the Responsibilities of the HEIs, to be scrutinised.”
It will also conduct on-site assessment to verify the actual implementation of measures adopted by the institution for ensuring safety of female students and well-being policies, beyond documented compliance.
The order further stated that the member will engage with stakeholders, including students, faculty administrators, and support staff to assess institutional culture, student experience, and challenges faced.
The committee has been asked to submit a detailed report with findings and recommendations to UGC within seven days, it added.
