Above: Jawaharlal Nehru University. Photo: Anil Shakya  

The Delhi High Court on Thursday (September 21) issued notice to all parties in the writ petition filed by three students and three teachers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The petition has questioned the JNU administration’s decision to replace the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) with a UGC-controlled Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for JNU, told the court that the building of GSCASH has been sealed. The Court then ordered all parties that nothing shall be done until the next date of hearing—November 28. It also ordered that all complaints on sexual harassment flowing into GSCASH shall be stored.

The petitioners have contended that UGC rules do not apply to JNU which takes decisions under the JNU Act. They also strongly feel that GSCASH is more representative in nature as compared to ICC. According to them, any modifications in GSCASH can only be carried out on the advice of GSCASH itself. They wanted the order to be struck down.

JNU administration, however, feels it is on the right track as it had followed UGC guidelines on the issue.  GSCASH came into being in pursuance of the apex court directions on preventing sexual harassment at workplaces.

—India Legal Bureau