Bhubaneswar: In a significant move to ensure a safer and more accountable environment in educational institutions, the Odisha Higher Education Department has issued a strict directive to all institutions in the state to enhance transparency and accountability in handling harassment complaints. The directive, issued in the wake of a recent tragic incident at Fakir Mohan College in Balasore, made it compulsory for higher educational institutions to upload detailed information on harassment complaints and their resolution status on the She-Box portal, an online platform developed by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development.
This directive came in the wake of a recent tragic incident at Fakir Mohan College in Balasore.
As per the directive, all higher educational institutions and department-level offices in Odisha are required to upload detailed information on harassment complaints and their resolution status on the She-Box portal.
The institutions must submit details of their Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), Local Committee details (if applicable), total number of harassment complaints received under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, and the number of complaints resolved.
The deadline for compliance is August 1, 2025. The move aims to increase transparency, accountability, and ensure the strict implementation of gender-safety mechanisms in educational spaces, ultimately creating a safer environment for students and staff.
