The College Grants Fee (UGC) on Monday issued a showcause discover to Kalinga Institute of Industrial Know-how (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar after a panel constituted by the UGC discovered that the institute didn’t take a “lawful resolution” in two sexual harassment complaints made by a scholar from Nepal who died by suicide in February.
A four-member committee, headed by former IGNOU vice chancellor Nageshwar Rao, was constituted by the UGC to look into the incidents after one other KIIT scholar from Nepal died by suicide in Could.
The committee discovered that the college’s inside complaints committee (ICC) “didn’t take lawful motion in reported sexual harassment instances”.
“There was no transparency. Protocols for investigation weren’t adopted. The lady had made sexual harassment complaints to the administration twice, a lot earlier than this tragic incident. In each complaints, they determined to go for unlawful compromises. Underneath sexual harassment complaints, the grievance is to be determined lawfully. The college has the facility to punish the boy even when the primary criticism was lodged. As a substitute of punishment, they favoured the boy by pushing a pressured unlawful compromise with the lady… This suicide case might have been averted. Members of the committee and senior administrative personnel of the college are answerable for felony punishment as per legislation,” the committee’s report, which was submitted to the UGC in Could, famous.
The coed was discovered useless in her KIIT hostel room in February, in an incident that sparked main protests. A 3rd-year scholar was arrested in reference to the suicide. In Could, one other scholar from Nepal was additionally discovered useless in her hostel room.
The UGC’s showcause discover to KIIT stated this “raised severe considerations concerning the psychological well being assist system, security protocols, and administrative response mechanisms prevailing in your establishment”.
Declaring that the fact-finding committee the UGC constituted in Could to look into the incidents “recognized essential lapses that contributed to the escalation of occasions”, the UGC has requested KIIT to clarify inside seven days why disciplinary or authorized motion shouldn’t be initiated towards it.
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If the institute fails to reply, the UGC has warned of motion, together with barring it from any enlargement by way of diversification of recent programs or programmes of research, and institution of off-campuses or off-shore campuses for a time frame.
The UGC has additionally warned of the closure of programs, programmes of research, or departments, or withdrawal of the establishment’s standing as a deemed-to-be college.
The committee additionally pointed to different findings. “The college lacked a structured mentoring system. There was no proof of energetic tutor-mentor engagement or early misery identification, particularly for first-year college students residing away from dwelling,” it stated. It additionally pointed to “flaws in emergency administration” — “no drills, assigned personnel or psychological well being first responders”.
Pointing to “disproportionate consumption”, the committee famous “an especially excessive variety of college students (greater than 30,000) on campus, with infrastructure not scaled proportionately”.
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On the protests that ensued after the demise of the scholar in February, the committee famous that college officers used “brute drive” to suppress scholar protests.
“Responding to escalating protests, the KIIT college administration declared a ‘sine die’ closure, instructing Nepali college students to vacate their hostels… This order is discriminatory and restricted to this group of Nepalese college students… By the night of the identical day, round 5 pm, the administration withdrew the ‘sine die’ order,” the report said.
The committee comprised Prof Shashikala Wanjari, V-C of Nationwide Institute of Academic Planning and Administration; Prof HCS Rathore, former V-C of Central College of South Bihar; and Sunita Siwach, Joint Secretary of UGC.
Sources in KIIT stated they have been but to obtain any communication from the UGC.