Website for students to report sexual harassment

Mumbai: Maharashtra education minister Vinod Tawde has announced a special website for the registration of complaints about sexual harassment at schools in the state. Mr Tawde also appealed to parents of female students to come forward and lodge complaints against any kind of harassment freely.

“You can meet representatives of the people like us (political leaders) or the police, or can file a complaint on the website. But don’t be silent about such inhuman crimes. We will maintain the utmost secrecy about the complainant’s identity and also won’t spare any criminal,” said Mr Tawde on Thursday. The minister was answering questions in the House related sexual harassment cases in Ahmednagar and Palghar districts. Recently, a teacher in Hingoni village of Ahmednagar district had allegedly sexually harassed nine female students.  Mr Tawde said, “The Palghar culprit has not been booked yet but the chairman of the institution has. I will request chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to take action against the main accused too. In the Ahmednagar case, a teacher has been terminated and he is now in the magistrate’s custody."

Asked about launching a people-friendly complaint process where the victim or her relatives can easily lodge complaints, Mr Tawde said, “The helpline number, 103, is active. People are coming forward to use it. The government will also launch a website where the names of complainants will be kept secret but their complaints will be investigated thoroughly.”

Speaking about steps taken to sensitise teachers, the minister added, “Our department has also launched a drive to inform and educate educational institutions and teachers about the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. Workshops are being organised for the same. The counselling of female students is another option that the government is looking at.”

Meanwhile, social activists have wholeheartedly welcomed this move. MLC Neelam Gorhe, who has been working on similar issues for decades, congratulated Mr Tawde. “This is excellent move. It was very much needed. Along with the website and councillors, the government must also accommodate social activists and NGOs to deal with issues,” she said. Activist Kiran Moghe also called this decision a necessary step. “Forming such a mechanism is definitely going to help people. My only concern is it should be not like the post office. An independent investigation agency should also be brought on board to deal with such cases. Only then real change will come.”