Hold elections to gender panels, Delhi University tells colleges

NEW DELHI: Delhi University proctor Neeta Sehgal on Thursday wrote to principals of all DU colleges to hold elections for the College Complaints Committee and Gender Sensitization Committee as per the UGC rules.
The elections are slated for March 12 and colleges have been asked to get back to the proctor’s office with the names of the elected candidates by March 15.
The lack of a complaints committee was highlighted when several girl students had to approach the police and the varsity administration to get their sexual harassment complaints filed, after the college administration had either refused to act on the matter or intimidated them with action.
While some colleges have elected members, other college committees are either headed by members of the college administration or are defunct.
Last week, a student from Daulat Ram College had approached Delhi Police against a professor who had been allegedly harassing and stalking her. She claimed that several students before her had approached the administration about the sexual harassment being meted out to them, but no action was taken.
A few days later, a student from Bharati College also wrote to the university administration alleging that her professor has been harassing her and college administration, instead of taking action against the professor, was intimidating her.
According to the letter written by Sehgal, it has come to the notice of the university administration that the composition of the complaints committee has not been as per the UGC guidelines in many colleges. “It is requested to conduct elections for the members of the college complaints committee under the UGC regulation, 2015…,” the letter read.
The nominations for the elections will have to be filed by February 23 and the final list of nominated candidates will be declared on the February 27. The elections will take place on March 12, with the declaration of results on the same day.