Internal Complaints Committee (ICC)

Establishment of Internal Complaints Committee (ICC)

In pursuance of UGC (Prevention, prohibition and redressal of sexual harassment of women employees and students in higher educational institutions) Regulations 2015 read with Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 (SHWW Act 2013), and also  as per Section 4 of All India Council for Technical Education (Gender Sensitization, Prevention and Prohibition of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students and Redressal of Grievances in Technical Institutions) Regulations, 2016 vide No. F.AICTE/ WH/2016/01dated 10th June, 2016, the Internal Complaints Committee of St. Thomas College of Engineering & Technology is constituted with the following members with effect from 28.10.2024.

Responsibilities of Internal Complaints Committee (ICC)

The Internal Complaints Committee shall:

• Provide assistance if an employee or a student chooses to file a complaint with the police.
• Provide mechanisms of dispute redressal and dialogue to anticipate and address issues through just and fair conciliation without undermining complainant’s rights, and minimise the need for purely punitive approaches that lead to further resentment, alienation or violence.
• Protect the safety of the complainant by not divulging the person’s identity, and provide the mandatory relief by way of sanctioned leave or relaxation of attendance requirement or transfer to another department or supervisor as required during the pendency of the complaint, or also provide for the transfer of the offender.
• Ensure that victims or witnesses are not victimised or discriminated against while dealing with complaints of sexual harassment
• Ensure prohibition of retaliation or adverse action against a covered individual because the employee or the student is engaged in protected activity.

Filing a Complaint

(i) Any woman employee of the institution including faculty and staff as well as any woman visiting the Campus in any capacity may file a complaint against an incident of sexual harassment.           

(ii) Any student, irrespective of age and/or gender, may file a complaint against an incident of sexual harassment.

Process

An aggrieved person is required to submit a written complaint to the ICC within three months from the date of the incident and in case of a series of incidents within a period of three months from the date of the last incident. Provided that where such complaint cannot be made in writing, the Presiding Officer or any member of the Internal Committee shall render all reasonable assistance to the person for making the complaint in writing.

The formal complaint must contain the following:

• Date and time of the incident
• The place where it occurred
• Name and contact information of the accused
• Name and contact information of witnesses
• Detailed description of the incident           

All information related to a complaint will be kept strictly confidential.

Interim Redressal  

The STC may

• transfer the complaint or the respondent to another section or department to minimise the risks involved in contact or interaction, if such a recommendation is made by the ICC;
• grant leave to the aggrieved with full protection of status and benefits for a period up to three months;
• restrain the respondent from reporting on or evaluating the work or performance or tests or examinations of the complainant;
• ensure that offenders are warned to keep a distance from the aggrieved, and wherever necessary, if there is a definite threat, restrain their entry into the campus;
• take strict measures to provide a conducive environment of safety and protection to the complainant against retaliation and victimisation as a consequence of making a compliant of sexual harassment.

Punishment and compensation –

1. Anyone found guilty of sexual harassment shall be punished in accordance with the service rules of the STC, if the offender is an employee.
2. Where the respondent is a student, depending upon the severity of the offence, the STC may-

• withhold privileges of the student such access to the library, auditoria, halls of residence, transportation, scholarships, allowances and identity card;
• suspend or restrict entry into the campus for a specific period.
• Expel and strike off name from the rolls of the institution, including denial of readmission, if the offence so warrants;
• Award reformative punishments like mandatory counselling and or, performance of community services.

3. The aggrieved person is entitled to the payment of compensation. The STC shall issue direction for payment of the compensation recommended by the ICC and accepted by the executive authority, which shall be recovered from the offender. The compensation payable shall be determined on the basis of –

• mental trauma, pain, suffering and distress caused to the aggrieved person;
• the loss of career opportunity due to the incident of sexual harassment;
• the medical expenses incurred by the victim for physical, psychiatric treatment;
• the income status of the alleged perpetrator and victim; and
• the feasibility of such payment in lump sum or in instalments.

Any other matter not withstanding herewith shall be as per the regulations laid down by UGC from time to time.