Eight colleges in Odisha receive harassment complaints from female students; Rourkela highest

Female students from eight colleges across the state have lodged complaints of sexual harassment, exploitation, or ragging in their institutions, said Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj in the Odisha Assembly on Friday.

Responding to a question raised by MLA Arvind Mohapatra, the Minister shared detailed data on the incidents recorded during the period.

According to the Minister, the highest number of complaints, three, have emerged from Rourkela Autonomous College. One case each has been reported from GM University in Sambalpur and Baliapal College in Jajpur. Similar complaints were also received from colleges located in Angul, Bargarh, Titilagarh, and Balasore’s FM College.

The Minister stated that in seven out of the eight incidents, allegations were levelled against faculty members for sexually harassing or exploiting female students. One case involved ragging, reported by a student against seniors in the institution.

Suraj informed the House that Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) in the respective colleges have taken up investigations, and necessary departmental and disciplinary proceedings are underway. The Higher Education Department is also monitoring the progress of each case.

Reaffirming the government’s stance, the Minister said that Odisha maintains a zero-tolerance approach toward crimes against female students and assured that strict action will be taken against those found guilty. 

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Steps have also been initiated to strengthen safety mechanisms through awareness programs, counselling, and institutional monitoring, the Minister added.