ANTI- DISCRIMINATION CELL

Definitions.-

1. In these regulations unless the context otherwise requires,-
   1. “Act” means, the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956);
   2. “Academic year” means the period from the commencement of admission of students in any course of study in the institution up to the completion of academic requirements for that particular year.
   3. “Commission” means the University Grants Commission;
   4. “Council” means a body so constituted by an Act of Parliament or an Act of any State Legislature for setting, or co-ordinating or maintaining standards in the relevant areas of higher education, such as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
   5.  “Discrimination” In human social behavior, discrimination is treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction towards, a person based on the group, class or category to which the person is perceived to belong.

These include age, colour, criminal record, height, disability, ethnicity, family status, gender identity, generation, genetic characteristics, marital status, nationality, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation.

Discrimination consists of treatment of an individual or group, based on their actual or perceived membership in a certain group or social category, "in a way that is worse than the way people are usually treated". It involves the group's initial reaction or interaction going on to influence the individual's actual behavior towards the group leader or the group, restricting members of one group from opportunities or privileges that are available to another group, leading to the exclusion of the individual or entities based

Objectives of the Cell:

1. This cell will look after the related matters (if any) of depriving a student/ staff or group of students on the basis of caste, creed, language, ethnicity, gender, different ability.
2. This cell always try to uphold the dignity of the institution by addressing the concerns (if any) brought into the notice related to equality in offering or receiving education inside the campus.
3. This cell ensures conducive environment for academic growth of the people belonging to the Institute.
4. This cell protects the rights of individuals without any prejudice to their appearance or lifestyle in the process of learning inside the campus.
5. The Cell shall eliminate discrimination against or harassment of any individual in all forms by prohibiting it and by providing preventive and protective measures to facilitate its eradication and punishments for those who indulge in any form of discrimination or harassment.
6. To resolve the issues pertaining to caste, creed, religion, language, ethnicity, gender, disability of access etc.
7. To provide a platform for listening to complaints and redressal of grievances
8. To foster healthy relationship with all.
9. To equip students, faculty and staff with the knowledge of their legal rights and redressal of their grievances
10. To facilitate speedy delivery of justice, through organizing meetings at regular intervals

Activities

1. Conducting awareness programmes
2. Organizing empowerment programmes
3. Programmes in the nearby community to sensitize equality
4. Creating Awareness against caste, creed, religion, language, ethnicity, gender, disability of access etc

Jurisdiction

The policy and the rules & regulations would apply to all students, faculty and nonteaching staffs on active roles of SDIP (U2). The policy and the rules & regulations would also apply to service providers and outsiders who may be within the territory of the SDIP (U2) at time of commission of the act coming under the purview of the policy.

1. The policy would apply inside the campus but also on off-campus official duty (workshops, field work, group holidays/excursions organized by SDIP (U2), interviews/meeting with outside people and any other activity organized by SDIP (U2) outside the campus including the period of travelling for such activity).
2. In particular, the rules and procedures laid down in this policy shall be applicable to all complaints of discrimination made:
   1. By a student against a member of the academic or non- teaching staff or a co-student or by a member of the academic or non-teaching staff against a student or another member or the academic or non-teaching staff in either case, irrespective of whether sexual harassment is alleged to have taken place within or outside the campus.
   2. By a service provider or an outsider against a student or a member of the academic or non-teaching staff or by a student or a member of the academic or non-teaching staff against an outsider or a service provider, if the sexual harassment is alleged to have taken place within the campus.
   3. In the above, the following definitions will apply:
      1. Members of the SDIP (U2) include faculty (permanent and temporary), staff (permanent and temporary), research scholars/students (full time and part time) and any other visitors.
      2. Faculty refers to any person or the staff of the Institute who is appointed to a faculty position, whether full time/temporary/ad-hoc/ part-time/ visiting/ honorary or on special duty /deputation and shall also include faculty employed on a casual or project basis.
      3. Staff refers to any person in the Institute who is not included in the category of faculty. It shall  also include contract workers and daily wagers.
      4. Research scholars.
      5. Students of the Institute of all Courses.
      6. Any other visitor refers to any person  visiting library/ faculty members / any other place in campus; or appearing /participating in interview/ entrance tests/seminars/ workshops/conferences.
      7. Campus refers to all places of work and residence within the Institute territory. It includes all administrative section, academic section, library & computer centre, project offices as well as hostel & mess, guest house, staff quarters, security cabin and public places, etc. within the SDIP (U2) campus.
      8. In order to implement the policy, a Committee shall be appointed whose composition and mandate would be as described below.

Constitution of the Anti Discrimination Cell

1. The Committee shall consist of following members, who shall be appointed by the Vice Chancellor as under, namely:

1. A Chairperson- Head of the Institution.
2. Members.
3. Security Officer of the Institute.
4. Legal representative of the institute (if available).

2. The term of office of the members of the Anti Discrimination Cell shall be for a period of three years.

Anti- Discrimination cell:

Power and Duties of the Committee:

The committee is NOT to act as a moral police; neither will it intrude on anyone’s privacy. The role of the Committee is to create awareness about Anti Discrimination and to deal with and recommend punishment for non-consensual acts of Discrimination. Members are expected to be sensitive to the issue and not let personal biases and prejudices which affect their functioning as members of the committee.

1. The Cell will look into matters to depriving student and group students on a particular caste, creed, religion, language, ethnicity, gender, disability or any type and matters of imposing conditions of any student which is incompatible with the dignity of human beings.
2. The Cell is constituted to safeguard the interest of students and staff without any prejudice to their caste, creed, religion, language, ethnicity, gender, disability and to eliminate discrimination or harassment against of any student in SDIP (U2) by providing preventive measures to facilitate for punishment for those who indulge in any form of discrimination to promote equality among the students.
3. The Committee will receive complaints from the affected student and staff in terms of discrimination of caste, creed, religion, language, ethnicity, gender, disability and conduct a proper enquiry, and submit a detailed report to the Chairperson for suitable action.
4. Cell should report immediately to the management of SDIP if any complaint received.
5. Cell should do the enquiry immediately after receiving the complaint and report to the Chairperson.
6. The committee should conduct meeting once in every three months.

Meetings of the Committee:

The members of the Committee shall meet at least one in three months and maintain the proceedings. The Chairperson shall preside over the meeting. In the absence of the Chairperson, the second senior female Faculty member shall preside over the meeting. The Chairperson may upon the request of not less than one third of the total members of the Committee, call a meeting on a date not later than eight days after the receipt of such requisition.

1. The quorum of the meeting of the Committee shall be five of its members. If the quorum is not complete in any meeting, it shall be adjourned for half an hour and thereafter, the meeting shall precede with those members who are present in the meeting.
2. All decision in the meeting will be taken through mutual consent from the members of the Committee present in the meeting. In the case of any disagreement among the members regarding any decision, Chairperson of the Committee shall hold the authority to take the final decision and her decision would be considered as final.

Complaint Procedure

1. Any student or staff (hereinafter mentioned  as  the  ‘COMPLAINANT) shall have the right to file a complaint concerning any discrimination against a student/employee /faculty/administrative staff / research staff/ any of the members of the Committee (hereinafter mentioned as the ‘COMPLAINEE’) as the case may be.
2. Any COMPLAINANT may file a complaint within a period of 3 months from the date of incident. In case of a series of incidents, COMPLAINANT should file a case within a period of 3 months from the date of last incident.
3. Where the aggrieved person is unable to file a complaint on account of her physical or mental incapacity or death or otherwise, her legal heir or such other person as may be prescribed may make a complaint under this section.
4. All complaints will only be accepted in writing.
5. Any complaint in writing has to be signed by the COMPLAINANT.
6. The complainant shall be afforded full secrecy at each stage.’
7. The name, address, identity or any other particulars calculated to lead to identification of the COMPLAINANT shall be kept confidential and will not be disclosed even to the Committee, till the meeting in this regard is convened.
8. Within a period of 5 working days from the date of such communication, the Chairperson shall convene a meeting to deal with the complaint and make preliminary enquiry/fact finding enquiry to verify the facts of the complaint. An Enquiry Committee will be constituted if the complaint is found genuine.
9. In case, the Enquiry Committee decides to proceed with the complaint, they may have the option to settle the matter between COMPLAINANT & COMPLAINEE through conciliation. For this the wishes of the complainant shall be ascertained and if the complainant wishes that a warning would suffice then the alleged offender shall be called to the meeting of the Committee, heard and if so satisfied that a warning is just and proper, he may be warned about his behavior. The matter shall then be treated as concluded and disposed of with a note to that effect made in the Complaint Register.