Bhubaneswar: The state government has asked all universities and colleges in Odisha to organise sensitization workshop on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and UGC Regulations, 2015 for both staff members and students.

The Higher Education Department of the state government today sent a letter in this regard to the registrars of all public and private universities, and principals of all government, aided and unaided colleges in Odisha.

All public and private universities, and all government, aided and unaided colleges, coming under the Higher Education Department, have been asked to organise the sensitization workshop on the POSH Act, 2013 and UGC Regulations, 2015 for all teaching and non-teaching staff, internal committee (IC) members and students within three days.

The staff members and students are supposed to take a pledge at the workshop to abide by or follow the principles enshrined in the POSH Act,2013 and UGC Regulations, 2015.

Apart from this, the Higher Education Department has asked the universities and colleges to prominently display the Women Helpline Number-181 at strategic locations on their campuses.

The department has issued a prescribed design for display of the women helpline number on the campuses of universities and colleges.

The state government had earlier asked all universities and colleges for strict implementation of the POSH Act, 2013 and UGC Regulations, 2015 on their campuses.

The government made this order in the wake of self-immolation of a girl student of FM Autonomous College in Balasore recently.

The girl, aged around 20 and a B.Ed student, allegedly attempted self-immolation on July 12 after she was subjected to continuous sexual harassment by the head of the Education department of the institute.

The girl had lodged a complaint in this regard with the college authorities as well as police. But, no one allegedly listened to her grievances.

The girl sustained over 90 per cent burn injuries in the incident and she died while being treated at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on July 14. The tragic incident has triggered a massive public outrage in the state.