Women students and employees at Ranchi University (RU) can soon locate the Women Grievance Redressal Cell. The women safety helpline re-launched in January 2013, after the Delhi Gang Rape had been functioning merely through telephonic mode. University authorities have recently allotted a room for the cell near the office of Dean Student’s Welfare (DSW). The inauguration is awaited.
“Till date, harassment incidents were reported over the Cell’s Member Secretary Renu Dewan’s phone number 9431101176. Observing the problem of the victims to share the problems face-to-face, university authorities have given a small room near the DSW SC Gupta’s office at the administrative block in Shaheed Chowk,” said Chairperson of the Cell Saraswati Mishra, also the Dean, Faculty of Humanities.
“Most of the times, the complaints are forwarded by Jharkhand State Commission for Women (JSCW) and in other cases, people are unaware about the functioning of the cell. We have been making consistent efforts to spread awareness. It is due to this reason, a room was needed wherein the sufferers can come and share woes without hesitation,” added Mishra.
Similarly, Dewan, also an Associate Professor at University Post Graduate Psychology department said that the five member committee comprising herself, Mishra and three other members has been unable to encourage students to approach them in case of crime incidents.
“Without infrastructure, we were failed to organise workshops focusing on raising voice against crime. Now, a board stating the name of the cell in front of the yet to be started room will allow girls to visit us. Also, we can get a platform to discuss and then host workshops in various departments and colleges,” pointed Dewan.
The university as alternative had given the provision of writing letter to them or DSW in needful hours but Dewan informed it is not working among students. “Not many girls are turning up through letters. The response is vice-versa from employees. It means students are hesitating while employees are not,” said Dewan.
As of now, the renovation of the room is under process. University’s Pro-Vice Chancellor M Raziuddin said the initiative of allotting the room was earlier decided at Morhabadi since the cell members and majority of the female students are seen here.
Few days back, a delegation of NSUI protested before the Vice Chancellor Ramesh Kumar Pandey’s chamber for keeping the cell inactive. However, some students of the university seemed unaware about the existence of such a cell. “I have never heard about the Grievance Cell,” said Sapna Dubey, a Part 1 Political Science Honours student of SS Memorial College.
Following, the guidelines of University Grants Commission (UGC), to frame a taskforce for ensuring security to the female students, RU reconstituted as well as relaunched the dead cell in January 2013.