Objectives and Procedure

Internal Complaint Committee (Women's Grievance Redressal Committee)

Background of the formation of the Internal Complaint Committee (Women's Grievance Redressal Committee)

In Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering and Research , Ravet Women's Grievance Redressal Cell was established on 14/8/2014 to safe guard the rights of the female students , faculty and staff members and also to provide platform to listen to complaints.

The motivation to have this cell is to ensure a speedy delivery of justice by processing each complaint through suitable action in compliance with Savitribai Phule Pune University guidelines and in compliance with the laws and regulations of the Government of India.

Objectives:

• To create an environment of gender justice, where men and women work together with a sense of personal security and dignity.
• To resolve issues pertaining to girls, women's sexual harassment.
• To equip the females students, faculty and staff members with the information of their legal rights.
• Safe guard the rights of female students, faculty and staff members to provide platform to listening to their issues, complaints.
• Provide Platform for Redressal of grievances.

Functions and Responsibilities:

• Create awareness about issues faced by women due to gender biases and discrimination.
• To provide a forum to build awareness and hence build preventive actions in matters related to gender discrimination.
• To provide and disseminate information about rights and laws for women.
• To facilitate speedy delivery of justice by processing each complaint through suitable action.

Complaint procedure

• A grievance box shall be kept in the office premise for collecting the complaints. It will be cleared once in a week. In case of urgency, complainant can directly hand it over to the Presiding Officer. A complaint can be registered via online mode available on college website.
• Any women employee who wants to file a complaint can do so by a written and signed complaint addressed to the Presiding Officer of the cell. In case of sexual harassment the complainant shall include the specific nature of the incident, date and the place of the incident, name of all parties involved as well as a detailed report of all pertinent facts. Complaint can be filed within three months from the date the incident took place. The Internal Committee can extend the time limit not exceeding another 3 months if it is satisfied that the circumstances were such that prevented the woman from filing the complaint within the said period. If the aggrieved woman is unable to make a complaint on account of her physical or mental incapacity or death, her legal heirs or such other person as may be prescribed may do so.
• Inquiries and/or complaints will be investigated immediately. Investigation will be conducted in confidential manner as compatible with a thorough investigation process.
• During the process of handling the complaint the witnesses/complainants should not experience any kind of discrimination or victimization.

Redressal procedure

• The complaint box shall be opened every week to collect and sort out the complaints. It shall be opened immediately if the complainant so desires. Or if any complaint can be raised via online mode can taken into consideration.
• The complainant shall be summoned to hear complaints (if necessary). Complaint of harassment will be promptly and carefully investigated. Investigation will include interview with all relevant persons, including the aggrieved and other potential witnesses in the case of sexual harassment and decision on grievances to be taken at a fairly senior level. After hearing of complaints, the committee shall take appropriate decision in accordance with the service rules applicable to the Respondent or where no such service rules exist, in accordance with rules framed under the Act and then same will be communicated to the complainant within a period of fifteen days in general. If the nature of complaint is complicated, it may take longer to take a decision.
• Where both the parties are employees in the same workplace, the parties during the course of the inquiry shall be given an opportunity of being heard and a copy of the findings shall be made available to both the parties enabling them to make representation against the findings before the Committee.
• If the complainant is not satisfied with the decision taken, she can take up the matter higher up the ladder to Local Complaints Committee or National Commission for Women.
• Inquiry Report On the completion of inquiry the ICC will provide a report of the findings to the employer within 10 days from the date of completion of the inquiry and such report will be made available to the concerned parties.

Time limit of Inquiry

The inquiry should be completed within a period of 90 days from the date of receipt of the Complaint.

Recommendation

The ICC shall give recommendations of any of the following to the employer on completion of the inquiry:

• If the ICC arrives at the conclusion that the allegation against the Respondent has not been proved, it shall recommend to the employer that no action is required to be taken.
• If the ICC arrives at the conclusion that the allegation against the respondent has been proved, it will recommend to the employer the following actions:
  • To take action for sexual harassment as a misconduct in accordance with the provisions of the service rule applicable to the Respondent;
  • And where no such service rules have been made or not applicable to the Respondent then the following actions shall be recommended to be taken.
    • A written apology
    • Warning
    • Reprimand or censure
    • Withholding of promotions, pay rise or increments
    • Terminating the respondent from service
    • Undergoing counseling session
    • Carrying out community work.
  • If the ICC arrives at a conclusion that the allegation against the respondent is malicious or the aggrieved woman or any other person making the complaint has made the complaint knowing it to be false or the aggrieved woman or any other person making the compliant has produced any forged or misleading document, it may recommend to the employer to take action against the woman or the person who has made the complaint. The employer shall have to act upon the recommendations within 60 days of the receipt of the enquiry report.

Internal Complaint Committee Members:

Composition of Internal Complaint Committee (2020-21)

Sr. No	Name	Designation	Position
1	Mrs. Mayura Yeole	Faculty of Civil Dept.	Presiding Officer
2	Mr. Vijay Desai	Faculty of Mechanical Dept	Member
3	Mrs. V.S. Kumbhar	Faculty of E & TC Dept.	Member
4	Mrs. Jayashri Chopade	Faculty of Mechanical Dept.	Member
5	Mrs. Asmita Sapkal	Non Teaching Staff	Member
6	Mrs. Rajashree Darwatkar	Non Teaching Staff	Member
7	Ms.Yamini Patil	Student	Member
8	Ms.Vedangi Thakur	Student	Member
9	Ms. Vishakha Solankure	Student	Member
10	Mr. Atul Sawakhande	NGO	Member