JNU professor sex-for-marks row: What are the allegations and what is the POSH Act?
New Delhi: The controversy involving Congress MP and former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam centres on sexual harassment allegations made by women students, which he has denied.
Akoijam, who taught at JNU’s Centre for the Study of Social Systems, was dismissed with immediate effect on October 9 following an internal inquiry. The university’s Internal Complaints Committee found the allegations against him to be substantiated.
Sex-for-marks row
According to reports, at least 11 women students filed complaints in May, alleging that Akoijam invited students to his campus residence under the pretext of meetings or gatherings and attempted to sexually harass them. Some also accused him of making obscene and inappropriate remarks in class.
The BJP has accused Akoijam of seeking sexual favours in exchange for marks. However, the Congress MP has rejected the allegation, claiming that the specific charge did not appear in the original complaint.
Angomcha Bimol Akoijam controversy
He questioned the complaint process and the eligibility of those who raised the allegations under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, commonly known as the POSH Act.
Akoijam described his dismissal as a witch hunt by a “khap panchayat” and alleged that JNU failed to follow due procedure and did not give him an opportunity to respond to the committee’s findings. He said he would challenge the university’s action in court.
The dispute escalated after Delhi Police registered a case against Akoijam following a complaint by the JNU administration. Separately, the BJP’s women’s wing protested outside the Congress headquarters, demanding action against him.
Akoijam has denied the allegations. The university’s inquiry findings and the criminal proceedings are separate processes, and the allegations should be distinguished from any final determination of criminal liability.
What is POSH law?
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, commonly known as the POSH Act, aims to protect women from sexual harassment at the workplace.
The law defines sexual harassment to include unwelcome physical contact, sexual advances, demands for sexual favours, sexually coloured remarks, showing pornography and other unwelcome verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
The Act applies to both public and private workplaces, including offices, educational institutions, hospitals and other work-related settings.
Organisations with 10 or more employees must establish an Internal Committee (IC) to receive and investigate complaints. In workplaces with fewer than 10 employees, or when a complaint is against the employer, the district-level Local Committee (LC) handles the matter.
A woman should ordinarily submit a written complaint within three months of the incident. The committee may extend this period by up to another three months for recorded reasons. The inquiry must generally be completed within 90 days.
Employers are required to provide a safe working environment, conduct awareness programmes, maintain confidentiality and act on the committee’s recommendations. Failure to comply can attract penalties.
The POSH Act provides a workplace complaint mechanism, but it does not replace criminal proceedings where the alleged conduct may constitute an offence under applicable law.