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Hans India
24 minutes ago
- Hans India
Govt directs depts to appoint nodal officers to enforce Sexual Harassment Act
Bengaluru: In a significant move aimed at protecting women in the workplace, the Government of Karnataka has directed all departments and offices—both public and private—to strictly enforce the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. The directive also includes compliance with the Supreme Court's guidelines on workplace safety for women. In a circular issued by Dr. Shamla Iqbal, Secretary of the Department of Women and Child Development, the government has ordered that every department and office appoint a nodal officer to oversee the implementation of the Act. These officers will be responsible for uploading all relevant information—including details of subordinate offices and Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs)—to the central She-Box portal, a digital grievance redressal platform for workplace harassment. The directive emphasizes that all complaints received through the portal or directly must be addressed swiftly and with quality oversight. Departments have also been instructed to conduct regular review meetings to assess the status and effectiveness of the Act's implementation across all subordinate offices and institutions. The circular further mandates that offices which have not yet established Internal Complaints Committees must constitute them immediately. Nodal officers are also required to frequently update compliance progress on the She-Box portal, ensuring transparency and accountability. This initiative is seen as a strong step toward ensuring safe and inclusive working environments for women across Karnataka, reinforcing the state's commitment to gender equality and workplace justice.
Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Justice Varma cash row: Supreme Court dismisses judge's plea challenging in-house probe
The Supreme Court Thursday dismissed Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma's petition challenging the in-house inquiry against him over the alleged discovery of unaccounted cash at his official residence in New Delhi during a fire in March this year. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and A G Masih, which heard Justice Yashwant Varma's petition, said the writ petition should not have been entertained amid his conduct, which did not inspire confidence, and framed a few other questions and answered them regarding the constitutional issues raised by him. On the question whether the procedure has legal sanction, the bench answered this in the affirmative. 'We have said that the procedure does have legal sanction,' Justice Datta said, reading out the operative parts of the judgment. The bench held that the then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, and the committee set up by him 'have scrupulously followed the procedure except one that is the uploading of the video footage and the photographs' of the alleged burnt cash. The bench said, 'We have said that it was not required under the procedure to do so, but having said so, we have also held that nothing turns on it because at the opportune moment you did not question it, and there is also no relief claimed in the writ petition insofar as uploading is concerned.' On the procedure requiring CJI to forward the report of the committee to the President and the Prime Minister, the SC held that 'it is not unconstitutional.' The bench also went into the question whether an inquiry and the consequent report in terms of the procedure, which could be unfavourable to the judge under probe, is a parallel and extra-constitutional mechanism. 'We have also held that it is not a parallel and extra-constitutional mechanism,' said the bench. On whether paragraph 5b of the procedure falls foul of Article 125 read with Article 217 and 218 of the Constitution or abrogates any fundamental right of a judge of a high court, the bench said, 'The answer is in the negative.' Justice Varma, who was a judge of the Delhi HC, is facing an impeachment motion following a probe into allegations of cash being found at his official residence. He moved the Supreme Court on July 18, challenging the in-house inquiry mechanism, which indicted him, calling it a 'parallel, extra-constitutional mechanism'.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Supreme Court directs states to survey orphaned children denied education
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed all states to survey orphaned children who were denied education under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and K V Viswanathan further asked the Centre to consider including data of such children in the upcoming census, scheduled to be carried out in 2027. The Supreme Court was hearing a plea raising concerns for orphans in need of care and protection. The bench further directed the states to survey orphaned children who had been granted admission in schools under the provisions of the 2009 Act. The petitioner said schemes of the Centre and the state governments for protection and care of orphans were inadequate, requiring consideration. 'States to make a survey of the orphan children who have already been granted admission under the provisions of the Act as well as a survey of the children who have been denied such right to free and compulsory education under the Act and if so, for what reasons,' the top court said. The states would have to return with their respective affidavits. With the survey and data collection going on, the bench asked for simultaneous efforts to ensure deserving children got admissions in neighbourhood schools. The bench granted four weeks to the authorities to comply with the directions. It came on record that several states, including Gujarat, Delhi, Meghalaya and Sikkim, had already issued notifications to include orphaned children within the 25 per cent quota for those belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups as prescribed in Section 12 (1) (c) of the law. Section 12 deals with extent of school's responsibility for free and compulsory education. The bench said other states might also consider issuing similar notification and file a related affidavit on record. It posted the matter for September 9. During the hearing, the petitioner sought directions to the Centre to consider having a data of orphans in the upcoming census. 'There must be a box with regard to orphans also,' the bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing in some other matter. The bench said then the government would automatically get the data of orphan children. 'It should be. I would take it up because orphans are our responsibility,' Mehta said. When the petitioner said the Centre should be asked to file a detailed affidavit on the aspects raised in the plea, the bench said it would consider all the issues. The bench observed there were Juvenile Justice Committee in all high courts and national consultations were also being held on these issues. 'So it is not as bad as it was,' the bench said, 'positive things are also happening'. The petitioner contended that India gives a lot of support and lot of opportunities to children of weaker sections such as scholarships, reservations, jobs, loans, etc., but there was nothing for orphans. She said UNICEF estimates 25 million orphans in India. 'We as a country don't even have an official number of orphans. We are right now doing a historic caste census and in that we are not counting orphans,' the petitioner said. India's 16th Census with caste enumeration will be carried out in 2027 with the reference date of October 1, 2026 in snow-bound areas like Ladakh and of March 1, 2027 in the rest of the country. The apex court had on July 2018 agreed to examine the plea seeking reservation in educational institutions and government jobs for orphans, who have no linkage in society, on par with those belonging to the SC/ST and OBC category.s
