Odisha asks all department heads to ensure women safety in workplace
Bhubaneswar, Jul 17 (PTI) The Odisha government on Thursday directed all departments to ensure women's safety in workplaces in the state.
The direction came in the wake of the self-immolation death of a college student following an alleged inaction by the authorities over her complaint of sexual harassment against a teacher.
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja wrote to all government departments to ensure compliance with the Provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 by all institutions or organisations.
In the letter, the chief secretary said that the implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act in workplaces and institutions is essential to ensure a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all, particularly women.
He has also directed the department heads and authorities that the compliance report on the action points be submitted to the Department of Women and Child Development within 15 days.
'Sexual harassment not only violates an individual's dignity and rights but also undermines productivity, morale, and equal opportunities," he said.
Ahuja also mentioned in the letter that by enforcing the POSH Act, organisations fulfil their legal and ethical responsibility to prevent, prohibit, and redress instances of harassment.
Ahuja has also advised all the department authorities to go for the constitution of Internal Committee (IC), capacity building and sensitisation, time-bound inquiry and redressal mechanism, annual reporting and transparency and responsibility of management.
'The head of the institution shall be held personally responsible for ensuring effective implementation of the POSH Act, as well as for any lapses in safeguarding complainants and preventing retaliation," Ahuja said.
The chief secretary also asked all administrative heads to constitute or revalidate IC and ensure meeting of IC once in a month for the next six months to create awareness and build momentum for the campaign against sexual harassment in educational institutions.
Thereafter, the ICs should meet in each quarter as per the Act.
He also said that the authorities to ensure that the grievance redressal mechanism, such as the She-Box portal, along with details of the IC is prominently displayed in multiple locations in all institutions, mandate periodic awareness and capacity-building sessions for all staff and students, monitor and enforce compliance through regular inspections and require all institutions to submit status reports.
The college and school authorities are also told to regularly visit educational institutions and interact with students, the chief secretary said.
The second-year B.Ed student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on Monday night. She had set herself on fire on the college campus on July 12 over inaction against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed her.
Stating that the state government is committed to ensuring the safety, dignity, and empowerment of women in all educational and professional environments, Ahuja said district administrations are therefore expected to act with urgency and diligence to create a safe environment for girls and women and uphold the provisions of the law in both letter and spirit. PTI AAM NN
view comments
First Published:
July 17, 2025, 22:45 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
11 minutes ago
- News18
Delhi saw 13 car theft cases daily in first half of 2025
Agency: PTI New Delhi, Jul 26 (PTI) The national capital recorded an average of 13 cases of car thefts per day in the first half of 2025, officials said on Saturday. However, Delhi also witnessed a decline in car theft cases in the first half of 2025 as compared to the same period last year. According to official police data, Between January 1 and July 15 this year, a total of 2,468 cases of car theft were registered across the national capital. During the corresponding period in 2024, the figure stood at 2,732, indicating a drop of nearly 10 per cent. Senior police officials attributed this decline to enhanced night patrolling, increased deployment of plainclothes teams in auto theft hotspots, and proactive intelligence gathering by Anti-Auto Theft Squads (AATS) in various districts. The intensified crackdown on organised vehicle lifting syndicates and surveillance measures, including the use of CCTV and analytics-based policing, have also played a role, officials said. Multiple cases involving interstate gangs involved in stealing luxury vehicles and transporting them to other states using fake number plates and master keys have been busted this year. PTI SSJ MPL MPL Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
11 minutes ago
- News18
Police invoke MCOCA against three held for cow slaughter in Maharashtras Thane
Thane, Jul 26 (PTI) Police in Maharashtra's Thane district have invoked stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against three persons arrested for allegedly slaughtering a cow, a top official said on Saturday. The incident had occurred during the intervening night of June 30 and July 1, in which the accused had stolen the cow from a cricket ground in Badlapur before the slaughter, he said. This is the second instance in the state in which the MCOCA has been invoked against the individuals accused of cow slaughter and related offences, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-IV Ulhasnagar) Sachin Gore said. 'The first such case (under MCOCA) was registered in Pimpri," he said, adding that this is the first instance in the Konkan range. Based on the complaint lodged by the owner of the cow, the police initially registered a case under section 303 (2) (theft) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with the provisions of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, and the Maharashtra Police Act. 'The police later arrested three persons in this connection. They are presently in police custody, and we have now slapped charges under the MCOCA against them," the DCP said. PTI COR NP First Published: July 26, 2025, 17:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
26 minutes ago
- News18
ECI conducts training programme for BLOs, AEROs in Kolkata
Kolkata, Jul 26 (PTI) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday conducted a training session for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) from the districts of Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad and Presidency Division here, an official said. More than 970 BLOs and AEROs from the five places were given training for the polling process for next year's Assembly elections at a programme held at the Nazrul Mancha, he said. 'The AEROs and BLOs were trained for their duties during polling. They were also trained for their duties for the SIR. They were also trained for their statutory duties," a senior official of the CEO's office told PTI. 'We had participated in similar kinds of training programmes, but this year it seems to be much organised. We are trained about the different processes involved with polling," one of the participating BLOs said. On Sunday, BLOs and AEROs from Medinipur and the next day those from Jalpaiguri will be trained, he said. view comments First Published: July 26, 2025, 17:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
