The Student’s Grievance Cell desires to promote and maintain a conducive and unprejudiced educational environment. The Cell enables a student to express feelings by initiating and pursuing the grievance procedure in accordance with the rules and regulations of the College. ‘Student’s Grievance Cell’ enquires and analyses the nature and pattern of the grievances in a strictly confidential manner. Emphasis on procedural fairness has been given with a view to “the right to be heard and right to be treated without bias”.
The grievance procedure is a machinery to sort out the issues between student and College. It is a means by which a student who believe that, he/she has been treated unfairly with respect to his/her academic/administrative affairs or is convinced to be discriminated is redressed. It is a device to settle a problem. It enables to express feelings by initiating and pursuing the grievance procedure in accordance with the rules and regulations of the college. It involves a process of investigation in which ‘Student’s Grievance Cell’ enquires and analyses the nature and pattern of the grievances in a strictly confidential manner. Matters are disclosed to only those, who have a legitimate role in resolving the matter. Emphasis on procedural fairness has been given with a view to “the right to be heard and right to be treated without bias”.
The students are ought to lodge their grievances in the prescribed form. The form, duly filled, is required to be submitted in the drop box placed outside the Principal’s office/submitted by email (studentsupport@sxccal.edu)
ANTI-DISCRIMATION POLICY
Introduction
As per the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012 No. F. 14-3/2012 (CPP-II) dated 17.12.2012 an “Anti-Discrimination” Officer has been appointed to look into the complaints of discrimination of the students.
Objectives
Definition of “Discrimination”
“Discrimination” means any distinction, exclusion, limitation or preference which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing equality of treatment in education and in particular, of depriving a student or group of students on the basis of caste, creed, religion, language, ethnicity, gender and disability of access to education of any type at any level.
Mechanism for implementation
The College already has a well laid down mechanism of hearing student complaint. Since this existing mechanism has been fine-tuned over time, the implementation mechanism of Anti-Discrimination Regulation will involve it for quick and efficient functioning.
1) All students shall be made aware of the provision of the Anti-Discrimination Regulation during the orientation programme conducted for the newly admitted students of the college.
2) Any complaint of discrimination by a student in the academic department and centre
a. Any complaint of discrimination [as defined in Regulation 2 (b)] by a student in the academic department and centre shall be submitted in writing to the respective Head of the department/centre.
b. The Head of Dept./Centre will enquire the matter and, if found genuine, take appropriate action. If the complaint is satisfactorily resolved the head of dept./centre shall prepare an action taken report and the students shall submit the complaint and report to the Antidiscrimination Officer. This shall be completed within a time frame of 15 days.
c. If the complaint is against an act of the head of the department, it will be directly submitted to the vice principal/ Dean of the concerned department.
d. If the student is not satisfied with the action taken at Head of the department level or in the event of no action within 15 days, she/he will forward the complaint to the respective vice principal/ Dean of the concerned department. The vice principal /dean will review the matter with the involvement of the complainant and take appropriate action. The report again shall be forwarded to the Antidiscrimination Officer. This shall be completed within a time frame of next 15 days from the date of receipt of the complaint by the vice principal/ Dean.
e. If the complaint is against the Dean concerned then the student shall submit it directly to the Antidiscrimination Officer. Antidiscrimination Officer then shall make a detailed review/investigation of the matter and recommend appropriate action to the principal with a time frame of the next30 days from the date of receipt of the complaint by the Antidiscrimination Officer.
3) Any complaint of discrimination by a student in Hostel.
a. Any complaint of discrimination by a student in any Hostel shall be submitted in writing to the respective Hostel in charges.
b. The Hostel in charges will enquire the matter and, if found genuine, take appropriate action. If the complaint is satisfactorily resolved he will prepare an action taken report and the students shall submit the complaint and report to the Antidiscrimination Officer. This shall be completed within a time frame of 15 days.
c. If the complaint is against an act of the Warden/Hostel in charges, it will be directly submitted to the Vice Principal /Dean within 15 days. The vice principal/dean will review the matter with the involvement of the complainant and take appropriate action. If the complaint is satisfactorily resolved the students shall submit the complaint and report to the Antidiscrimination Officer. This shall be completed within a time frame of 15 days from the date of receipt of complaint.
4) Any complaint of discrimination in the college by a student in matters not relating to Department/Centre/Hostel shall be submitted directly to the Antidiscrimination Officer. Antidiscrimination Officer shall make necessary enquiry and submit recommendation to the principal.
5) College administration shall extend all cooperation to the Anti-Discrimination Officer in the conduct of enquiry against any complaint.
6) Any person found guilty of indulging in acts of indiscrimination shall be warned in writing against such act.
7) The quantum of punishment for repeat of acts of indiscrimination by any person shall be recommended by a committee to be constituted by the Anti-Discrimination Officer and it will be forwarded by the Anti-Discrimination Officer to the Principal for approval.
8) The decision of the principal shall be final and binding. Quantum of punishment: As defined in the College Rules & Regulations.
Anti-Discrimination Committee Members
Rev. Dr. Dominic Savio, S.J. Principal & Chairperson
Prof. Bertram Da ‘Silva
Rev. Dr. Joseph Kulandai, S.J.
Rev. Dr. Peter Arockiam, S.J.
Rev. Fr. Johnson Padiyara, S.J.
Dr. Swati Sarkar
Dr. Panchali Sen
Dr. Soheli Ghosh
Dr. Farat Bano
Dr. Debasree Lahiri
Ms. Feroza Mogrelia
Ms. Sujata Pakrashi Lahiri
Ms. Sucheta Mukherjee
NSS Student President
General Secretary, Students’ Council
Ms. Cheryl Francis, (Anti-Discrimination Officer).
The College has in place an Anti-Ragging Committee headed by our Principal Rev. Dr. Dominic Savio.
The Committee consists of the Vice-Principals, Deans, Hostel Director and other staff members as per follows:
The Committee which meets each semester has recommended the following policy:
It would be further recommended that the Anti-Ragging page on the College Website display along with the Anti Ragging Committee:
Students can educate themselves further through this Link regarding policy and redressal in the event of them being exposed to Ragging in any situation. Adequate publicity is given to this policy through notices and the College website.
Tradition of camaraderie is ensured by seniors to the juniors and is passed down each year which is the best practice followed in the college with regard to keeping our campus physically and virtually Ragging free.
In the assessment period from 2017… no case of Ragging has been registered with the College Anti-Ragging Committee.
UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION, REDRESSAL OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WOMEN EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS) REGULATIONS 2015
Introduction
The Constitution of India provides for equality of status and opportunity as well as the right to live with personal liberty and human dignity. These mandates make the right to have a safe workplace and educational institution campus a legal right, and sexual harassment at the workplace is a gross violation of it. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Work - place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act) finds its genesis in these constitutional man - dates. This interpretation of the constitutional framework was done by the Supreme Court in the case of Vishaka vs. State of Rajasthan, through which the historical Vishaka Guidelines came into being. These guidelines later formed the roots and basis for the POSH Act, and the University Grants Commission (Prevention, prohibition and redressal of sexual harassment of women employees and students in higher educational institutions) Regulations, 2015 (UGC Regulations). It is important for both the higher education institution, and its employees and students to be completely aware of their rights, duties and the redressal mechanisms under the POSH Act, and the UGC Regulations.
Objectives
Terminologies
Any woman who reports to have been subjected to any act of sexual harassment by any person employed by an organisation, or the employer themselves. The woman doesn’t necessarily have to be employed in that particular organisation to seek redressal.
Anything and everything that is on the land of the Higher Educational Institution is covered under the term “campus”. This includes, but is not limited to - libraries, laboratories, lecture halls, hostels, dining halls, bank counters, parking areas, playground etc. Any places visited by a person as a student of the HEI, including the transportation provided for the purpose of their commute to and from the institution is also covered under the scope of “campus” even though the location may be outside the institution. Hence, student visits like field trips, internships, study tours, placements, cultural festivals, sports meet and other such activities where the person is participating in the capacity of an employee or a student of the HEI, is covered under the ambit of “campus”, giving the term a comprehensive meaning
The POSH Act and the UGC Regulations have kept the definition of “Employee” quite broad. Here’s who are covered under it - A person doing any kind of work for a company/organisation. Interns/ volunteers/whether paid/ unpaid. Trainee, apprentice, teaching assistants, research assistants, whether employed or not, including those involved in field studies, projects.
“Employer” is basically the biggest “boss” in any organisation or institution - anyone who is responsible for the management, supervision and control of the workplace. Hence, for universities, it would be VC/Registrar, and for a college, it would be the Dean/Principal.
The chief executive authority of the HEI, by whatever name called, in which the general administration of the HEI is vested. For example - Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Principal, Dean. For public funded institutions the Executive Authority means the Disciplinary Authority.
Any University, College or Institution deemed to be a university recognised under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 is a Higher Educational Institution. While it may sound technical, what needs to be remembered is the fact that it is mandatory for ALL educational institutions to set up an Internal Complaints Committee (CC) to look into the complaints of sexual harassment.
An educational institution might already have a body functioning with the same objective as that of an CC. For example, many universities, colleges, and institutions have a functioning Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) body. Instead of creating a new body for ICC, these existing bodies can also be reconstituted as the CC in consonance with the UGC Regulations, which once reconstituted, will fall under the ambit of UGC Regulations.
Local Committee is the Local Complaints Committee which every district officer is bound to constitute in district concerned to receive complaints of sexual harassment from establishments where the Internal Complaints Committee has not been constituted.
Any unfavourable treatment meted out to a person with an implicit or explicit intention to obtain sexual favour.
Respondent” is a legal term generally used for a person against whom the complaint has been made by the aggrieved woman.
Reasonable opposition to a practice believed to violate sexual harassment laws on behalf of oneself or others, such as participation in sexual harassment proceedings, cooperating with an internal investigation or alleged sexual harassment practices or acting as a witness in an investigation by an outside agency or in litigation.
The term “student” covers - Current student - pursuing any course in the HEI through either regular or distance mode, including both short- and long-term training programs. Future student - in the process of taking admission in the HEI, but not yet enrolled. Deemed student - any student who is a participant in any activities in an HEI other than HEI where the student is enrolled. For example - a student from x university participating in the cultural festival in y university, may be deemed to be a student of y university for the period of such participation.
A situation where sexual harassment occurs as a result of an act or omission by any third party or outsider who is not an employee or student of HEI but a visitor in some other capacity or for some other purpose.
Workplace means the campus of Higher Educational Institution including any department, establishment, office etc funded by and the HEI, or any sports institute, stadium etc used for activities related to the HEI. It also includes any place visited by an employee or student during the course of their employment or study including transportation provided by the Executive Authority. The definition of “workplace” just like the definition of “Employee” is quite broad. Whoever the complaint is filed against, it needs to be ensured that the institution is their workplace (in case of students, their respective universities, colleges or institutions can be considered as their workplace, unless it’s a third-party harassment.
What Constitutes Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment, in general, can be understood as an unwanted conduct with sexual undertones if it occurs or which is persistent and
Acts that can be considered as sexual harassment
Sexual harassment includes one or all of the following unwelcome acts or behaviour, whether directly or by implication –
“Sexual Harassment at the Workplace”
Sexual Harassment at Workplace includes one or more of the following circumstances with explicit or implicit sexual undertones –
What exactly is an CC?
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, and the University Grants Commission (Prevention, prohibition and redressal of sexual harassment of women employees and students in higher educational institutions) Regulations 2015, makes it mandatory for all employers and HEI respectively to constitute an Complaints Committee to look into the matter of sexual harassment at workplace.
Functions of CC
Responsibilities of CC
Apart from enabling and ensuring fair trial, CC has various other responsibilities.
Composition of CC
Presiding Officer: A woman faculty member employed at a senior level (not below a professor in case of a university, and not below an Associate Professor or Reader in case of a college) at the educational institution.
Employee Members: Two faculty members and two non-teaching employees, preferably committed to the cause of women or who have had experience in social work or have legal knowledge.
External Member: One member from amongst non-government organisations or associations committed to the cause of women or a person familiar with the issues relating to sexual harassment.
Apart from these, ICC ought to have 3 students in the committee if the matter involves students. These students shall be enrolled at the undergraduate, master’s, and research scholar levels respectively, and should be elected through transparent democratic procedure.
Recommendations made by CC
What other options does one have?
Filing a complaint
Procedure
How does CC inquire into a complaint?
Annual Report
The CC is responsible for creating an annual report and submitting it to the HEI. This annual report needs to be prepared every calendar year and should incorporate the following –
Constitution of the Internal Complaints Committee
The members of the Internal Complaints Committee are as follows: -
St. Xavier's College (Autonomous) in Kolkata is committed to fostering gender equality, as enshrined in Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination based on gender, religion, race, caste, or place of birth. The college has established a robust Gender Equality Policy, reflecting its dedication to creating an inclusive and equal environment for all students.
A significant milestone in this endeavor is the establishment of the Centre for Gender Studies at St. Xavier's Kolkata. This center plays a pivotal role in ensuring the active participation of all students in initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality. By organizing workshops, seminars, and awareness campaigns, the center actively engages the student community in discussions surrounding gender issues.
Furthermore, the Centre for Gender Studies monitors progress towards gender justice within the college. Through systematic assessments and continuous evaluations, the institution strives to identify areas for improvement and implement effective strategies to create a more equitable and supportive educational environment. St. Xavier's College's commitment to gender equality aligns with the constitutional principles of India, fostering a campus culture that values diversity and inclusivity.