Madras university bans faculty from inviting students home
Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com
Chennai:31.08.2019
In a precautionary step aimed at preventing incidence of sexual harassment on campus, University of Madras has banned its faculty members from inviting students to their houses. Any such act would amount to misconduct under the sexual harassment law, registrar R Srinivasan said in a circular issued to faculty members on Thursday.
“Students are directed not to stay at any faculty member’s house or tour with their guides at any cost unless special permission is taken from university authorities,” the circular said.
The university has said it wants to make the campus a harassment-free zone. “The university is a place of knowledge and no act of sexual harassment of any sort would be permitted inside the campus and any such act will be dealt with an iron fist,” the circular warned. Anyone subjected to such harassment should approach professor Rita John, head of the Internal Complaints Committee, from department of theoretical physics, or the registrar or the vicechancellor with a written complaint, it said.
Any girl student or woman faculty member threatened or harassed by any faculty member or student can directly walk in to the vice-chancellor’s room with a representation and immediate action will be initiated following an inquiry, it added. The university has asked all heads of departments to display the circular on notice boards.
But, some professors said the new rules could be misused by some vested interests. “A new academic session has just started. We wanted to give confidence to the students that the university has a redressal mechanism for harassment,” vice-chancellor P Duraisamy said.
He further said no sexual harassment complaint has been received from any student recently.
“As per the regulations, students cannot tour with their guides without permission from the university. But we will allow students as a group to travel on study tours or to attend conferences. They also can travel with their relatives,” he added.
Last year, to prevent exploitation of PhD scholars, the state government had issued fresh guidelines in the matter.
Madras University
Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com
Chennai:31.08.2019
In a precautionary step aimed at preventing incidence of sexual harassment on campus, University of Madras has banned its faculty members from inviting students to their houses. Any such act would amount to misconduct under the sexual harassment law, registrar R Srinivasan said in a circular issued to faculty members on Thursday.
“Students are directed not to stay at any faculty member’s house or tour with their guides at any cost unless special permission is taken from university authorities,” the circular said.
The university has said it wants to make the campus a harassment-free zone. “The university is a place of knowledge and no act of sexual harassment of any sort would be permitted inside the campus and any such act will be dealt with an iron fist,” the circular warned. Anyone subjected to such harassment should approach professor Rita John, head of the Internal Complaints Committee, from department of theoretical physics, or the registrar or the vicechancellor with a written complaint, it said.
Any girl student or woman faculty member threatened or harassed by any faculty member or student can directly walk in to the vice-chancellor’s room with a representation and immediate action will be initiated following an inquiry, it added. The university has asked all heads of departments to display the circular on notice boards.
But, some professors said the new rules could be misused by some vested interests. “A new academic session has just started. We wanted to give confidence to the students that the university has a redressal mechanism for harassment,” vice-chancellor P Duraisamy said.
He further said no sexual harassment complaint has been received from any student recently.
“As per the regulations, students cannot tour with their guides without permission from the university. But we will allow students as a group to travel on study tours or to attend conferences. They also can travel with their relatives,” he added.
Last year, to prevent exploitation of PhD scholars, the state government had issued fresh guidelines in the matter.
Madras University
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