All medical colleges directed to set up sexual harassment probe panels

New Delhi: Complying with the Supreme Court order regarding the implementation of Sexual Harassment of Women at Work Place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (PoSH Act, 2013) at all institutes and organisations, the National Medical Commission (NMC) on Friday issued directions to the medical colleges across the country in this regard.

Issuing a circular to the Dean and HoDs of all medical colleges under NMC, the Commission asked the institutes to comply with the directions of the Supreme Court order.

The medical colleges have been directed to ensure that Internal Complaint Committees (ICCs), Local Committees (LCs), and Internal Committees (ICs) have been set up according to the provisions of the PoSH Act.

Further, the colleges have been directed to ensure that necessary information regarding the constitution and composition of these committees, along with details of email IDs and the contact of the designated person(s), process of submitting online complaint, relevant rules, regulations and internal policies are readily available on the website of the institutes.

These directions have been issued by NMC on the basis of the Supreme Court order dated 15.05.2023. Referring to this, NMC in its circular dated July 28 mentioned, "The Hon'ble Supreme Court vide its Judgement dated 15.05.2023 has ordered all the Institutions/Organizations to implement the provisions of Sexual Harassment of Women at Work Place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (PoSH Act, 2013) and to constitute and compose the Internal Complaint Committees (ICCs), Local Committees (LCs), Internal Committees (ICs), under them at appropriate level. A copy of the O.M. dated 20.06.2023 in this regard is enclosed."

Accordingly, all the medical colleges are requested to comply with the directions of The Hon'ble Supreme Court of lndia as under:

a) All Health Institutions/Medical Colleges are directed to undertake a time bound exercise to verify as to whether the Medical Colleges/ Institutions has constituted ICCs/LCs/ICs, as they case may be and that the composition of the said committees are strictly in terms of the provision of the PoSH Act.

b) All Health lnstitutions/Medical Colleges shall ensure that necessary information regarding the constitution and composition of the ICCs/LCs/ICs, details of the email IDs and contact of the designated person(s), the procedure prescribed for submitting an online complaint, as also the relevant rules, regulations and internal policies are made readily available on the website of the Institution/Organization/Authority/Functionary/Body, which is required to be updated from time to time.

Referring to the Supreme Court order in this regard, previously NMC had issued an Office Memorandum and asked the Autonomous Boards under NMC to forward the Supreme Court judgement to the Health Institutions and Medical Colleges

"In view of direction of Hon'ble Supreme Court, all Autonomous Boards under NMC are requested to forward the Judgment to all Health Institutions/ Medical Colleges etc under their control," stated the NMC Office Memorandum dated June 20, 2023.

To view the NMC circular, click on the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/posh-public-notice-215258.pdf

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