{"id":55816,"date":"2025-07-19T12:30:27","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T07:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=55816"},"modified":"2025-07-19T12:30:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T07:00:27","slug":"sexual-harassment-of-women-at-workplace-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/sexual-harassment-of-women-at-workplace-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Odisha government recently directed all colleges to sensitise teachers, non-teaching staff and students on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, within three days.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>About POSH Act<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was enacted to prevent and <\/span><b>address incidents of sexual harassment of women at their place of work <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and provide a mechanism for <\/span><b>redressal of complaints<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> related to such harassment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was an<\/span><b> initiative after <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the landmark<\/span><b> judgment of 1997 by the Supreme Court on the Vishaka ruling<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that outlined guidelines regarding sexual harassment in the workplace.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>POSH Act <\/b><b>Key Provisions<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Definition of Sexual Harassment: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Act provides a clear definition of sexual harassment, encompassing <\/span><b>unwelcome acts or behaviour<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that are <\/span><b>sexually colored,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> creating a hostile or intimidating work environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Applicability:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Act applies to <\/span><b>all workplaces,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> including <\/span><b>government, private, and non-governmental organizations<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as well as any <\/span><b>organization, institution, undertaking, or establishment.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Internal Committee (IC): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Act <\/span><b>mandates <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">every <\/span><b>workplace employing more than ten persons <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to constitute an <\/span><b>Internal Complaints Committee.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This committee is responsible for addressing complaints of sexual harassment and ensuring a safe working environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Local Committee (LC):\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span><b> appropriate Government may notify <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a District Magistrate or Additional District Magistrate or the Collector or Deputy Collector as <\/span><b>a District Officer for every District to exercise powers <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or discharge functions <\/span><b>under this Act.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In cases <\/span><b>where the workplace does not have an IC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the <\/span><b>district officer<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> shall <\/span><b>constitute a Local Committee<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to receive and redress complaints.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Complaint Procedure:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Act lays down a <\/span><b>specific procedure <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for making complaints, conducting inquiries, and resolving cases of sexual harassment. It <\/span><b>ensures confidentiality and timely resolution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of complaints.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Protection against Retaliation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Act<\/span><b> prohibits retaliation or adverse actions against the complainant <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for filing a complaint in good faith.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Penalties:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If found guilty, the Act provides for penalties, which may include a <\/span><b>monetary fine or termination of employment,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> depending on the severity of the offense.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>POSH Act C<\/b><b>omplaint Procedure<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Filing the Complaint:<\/b>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>aggrieved woman or any person authorized on her behalf<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can file a written complaint of sexual harassment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The complaint should be <\/span><b>filed with the Internal Committee (IC)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if the organization has more than ten employees.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>If the organization has less than ten employees<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or for any other valid reason, the complaint can be <\/span><b>filed with the Local Committee (LC) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">constituted by the district officer.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Timeframe for Filing: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The complaint should be filed <\/span><b>within three months from the date of the incident<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of sexual harassment <\/span><b>or within three months of the last incident, in case of a series of incidents.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Composition of the Committee:<\/b>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>IC or LC, as applicable, must have a majority of women<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> members.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>One of the members <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">should be <\/span><b>from a women&#8217;s rights organization or NGO.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Inquiry Process:<\/b>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The committee shall conduct an inquiry into the complaint in a fair and impartial manner.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>complainant, as well as the accused<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, shall have the <\/span><b>right to present their case <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><b>provide evidence<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during the inquiry.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Timeframe for Completion:<\/b>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The committee is required to complete the inquiry <\/span><b>within 90 days <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">from the date of receipt of the complaint.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However,<\/span><b> if there are valid reasons<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the time limit may be <\/span><b>extended for an additional <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">period, <\/span><b>not exceeding 90 day<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Confidentiality: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Act mandates that the <\/span><b>proceedings <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of the inquiry<\/span><b> and the identity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the parties involved <\/span><b>should be kept confidential.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Report and Action:<\/b>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After completing the inquiry, the<\/span><b> committee shall prepare a report<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of its findings and recommendations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>If the committee finds the accused guilty<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of sexual harassment, it shall <\/span><b>recommend appropriate actions and penalties to the employer.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Employer&#8217;s Action:<\/b>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>employer is obligated to implement the recommendations <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of the committee<\/span><b> within 60 days.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>employer must provide appropriate relief <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to the aggrieved woman, which may include <\/span><b>monetary compensation, counseling<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or any other action to ensure a safe working environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b style=\"font-size: inherit;\">Appeal: <\/b><b style=\"font-size: inherit;\">If either party is dissatisfied<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the decision of the IC\/LC or the action taken by the employer, they may <\/span><b style=\"font-size: inherit;\">appeal to the Appellate Authority, as notified by the State Government <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">within a period of <\/span><b style=\"font-size: inherit;\">60 days<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the date of recommendations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Source<\/b><strong>: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/odisha\/odisha-government-expedites-posh-implementation-across-state\/article69827905.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TH<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>POSH Act was enacted to prevent and address incidents of sexual harassment of women at their place of work and provide a mechanism for redressal of complaints related to such harassment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":55811,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1664],"class_list":{"0":"post-55816","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-prelims-current-affairs","8":"tag-posh-act","9":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55816"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55816\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}