The Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) of the Usha Pravin Gandhi College of Arts, Science and Commerce was constituted in June 2018 in accordance with the regulations called the University Grants Commission (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of sexual harassment of women employees and students in higher educational institutions) Regulations, 2015.

Objectives and Role of the Internal Complaint Committee -

• To make college campus protected for the students and staff, particularly females.
• To deal with the complaints of gender based violence and sexual harassment as per the guidelines of UGC.
• To process all the individual complaints and take necessary action without any delay.
• To provide help to the students and staff for taking precautions in case of any kind of gender based violence and sexual harassment as defined in the UGC regulations 2015 and further amendments of provisions, if any.
• To conduct gender sensitization programmes and to create awareness about legal guidelines on such issues.

            Complaints of gender based violence /sexual harassment in the college campus should be submitted in writing with any member of the Internal Complaint Committee of the College within ninety days of the incident.

Where such complaint cannot be made in writing, members of the Internal Complaint Committee of the College shall provide help in writing of the complaint if the complainant seeks it for any reason.

Friends, relatives, colleagues, co-students, psychologist or any other associate of the victim are allowed to file the complaint if the aggrieved person is not able to do so, on any medical grounds or death.

The Committee member should place the same before the committee within two-three working days of receiving it.

            The Internal Complaint Committee shall, on receipt of the complaint, send one copy of the complaint to the accused person within seven days of such receipt.

The accused person has to submit his or her reply to the complaint within ten days of receipt of the copy of the complaint.

The Internal Complaint Committee shall study the complaint to decide whether a thorough inquiry is necessary and accordingly an inquiry committee will be formed.

The inquiry committee shall provide reasonable opportunity to the complainant and the accused for presenting/ defending their case.

The inquiry committee shall take in to account the time and place of the incident, interviews and statements of the witnesses in person and other supporting documentation, if any.

The inquiry committee shall complete the inquiry within a time slot not exceeding ninety days from the receipt of the complaint.

The committee will follow relevant acts, rules of Government of India and Court orders, etc. if applicable.

Within ten days of the completion of the inquiry, the committee has to submit a detailed report to the Principal of the college and SVKM authorities in which it shall communicate its findings and recommendations based on its investigation.

The aggrieved person /complainant may withdraw his/her complaint at any time during the process of inquiry. In such case the process shall be terminated. If the committee feels or has sufficient grounds to believe that the withdrawal is the consequence or effect of fear /pressure/ threat exerted by the accused or any person on his/her behalf the process of inquiry shall continue.

The higher authorities of the college will take the necessary disciplinary actions according to the nature and seriousness of the behaviour reported by the inquiry committee, within thirty days from the receipt of the inquiry report, unless an appeal against the findings is filed within that period by either side.

An appeal against the findings/ recommendations of the committee may be filed by either party before the executive authority of the college within a period of thirty days from the date of submission of report by the inquiry committee.

Identities of the victim or the witnesses or the offender shall not be made public during the process of the inquiry.

           Anyone found guilty of gender based violence and sexual harassment shall be punished in accordance with the UGC (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of sexual harassment of women employees and students in higher educational institutions) Regulations, 2015 and further amendments of provisions, if any. Same rules and regulations are also applicable in case of false complaints.

All members of the Usha Pravin Gandhi College of Arts, Science and Commerce - students, teaching staff (regular and visiting), non-teaching and supporting staff (permanent and temporary) will come under the purview of this policy.

Mrs Smruti Nanavaty

Dr. Navita Kulkarni

Mrs. Madhuvanti Date

Mr Lokesh Tardalkar

Dr. Neelam Naik

Mrs. Kalika Kherdikar

Mr. Abhang Deshpande

Ms. Priyanka Mehta

General secretary of student council

Student Member

Student Member