MULTIPLE ACTION RESEARCH GROUP (MARG)

Internal complaint committee

Against Sexual Harassment of Women

MARG IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING A SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT IN ITS WORKPLACE, INCLUDING SAFETY FROM PERSONS ONE MAY COME INTO CONTACT WITH IN ITS WORKPLACE.

An Internal Complaints Committee is hereby  reconstituted comprising the following members:

  • PRESIDING OFFICER:                 Kiran Singh, Advocate and Senior Consultant, MARG
  • MEMBER:                                      Manoj Kumar Thakur, Administrative Officer, MARG
  • MEMBER:                                      Pankhuri Gupta, Legal Research Consultant, MARG
  • EXTERNAL MEMBER:                  Kiran Jyoti, Expert, Gender Equality, Child Rights and Governance 

Tenure of this committee will be up till 13th June 2026 or next statutory reconstritution due after 3 years.

BROAD GUIDELINES

An ‘aggrieved woman’ means, in relation to the workplace of MARG, a woman of any age, whether employed or not, who alleges to have been subjected to any act of sexual harassment by the respondent  

‘Workplace’ refers to MARG premises including precincts thereof or any place visited by an employee arising out of or in the course of employment, including transportation provided by MARG for undertaking such journey.

‘Employee’ means a person employed for any work on regular, temporary, ad hoc or daily wage basis, either directly or through agent (including contractor), with or without knowledge of the Executive Director of MARG, for remuneration or not, or working on a voluntary basis or otherwise, whether terms of employment are express or implied, and includes co-worker, contract worker, probationer, trainee, or apprentice.

‘Respondent’ means a person against whom a complaint of sexual harassment has been made.

‘Sexual harassment’ includes any one or more of the following unwelcome acts or behaviour (whether directly or by implication) namely:

  • Physical contact and advances; or
  • A demand or request for sexual favours; or
  • Making sexually coloured remarks; or
  • Showing pornography; or
  • Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non – verbal conduct of sexual nature

Any aggrieved woman may make a complaint in writing to MARG’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at MARG within a period of 3 months from the date of the incident. In case of a series of incidents, complaint may be made within a period of 3 months from the date of last incident. MARG’s ICC may condone such delay as it deems fit.

WHERE an aggrieved woman cannot make a complaint herself due to:

  • Death of the woman: complaint can be filed by anyone who knows about the incident, with written consent of legal heir of aggrieved woman
  • Physical incapacity: complaint can be filed by –
  • relative/friend/co-worker
  • officer of a Women’s Commission
  • anyone who knows about incident, with written consent of the woman
  • Mental incapacity: complaint can be filed by –
  • relative/friend
  • special educator/psychologist/psychiatrist
  • guardian/authority under whose care she is
  • anyone who knows about the incident, jointly with any of the above

 

PENALTIES

Persons found guilty by the MARG ICC of committing sexual harassment in the workplace are liable to be punished as per their service rules.

Where no service rules exist, persons found guilty by MARG ICC are liable to be punished in accordance with the recommendations of the MARG ICC, which may include:

  • written apology
  • warning
  • reprimand or censure
  • withholding of promotion
  • withholding of pay rise or increments
  • termination from service
  • undergoing counseling session
  • carrying out community service.

Where the respondent found guilty is an employee of MARG, punishments as listed above may be imposed, or such other as deemed fit by MARG’s Executive Committee.

Sexual harassment is also a punishable offence under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and respondents will be dealt with to the full extent of the law.