Bangalore: Govt formulates guidelines for safety of college girls

Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jul 25: The government has formulated special guidelines for the safety of college-going girls. The move comes in the wake of the gang-rape of a Manipal University student last month.

The guidelines have been formulated to prevent rape, sexual harassment and any other form of crime against young women.

All universities, colleges and educational institutions have been directed to follow the guidelines strictly with immediate effect.

The guidelines were formed by higher education minister R V Deshpande in consultation with other officials of his ministry.

The guidelines are as follows:

1. Universities or educational institutions must, without fail, form a committee of teachers and officials, headed by principal/vice-principal or dean to address and resolve the problems faced by girl students.

2. The committee should consist of a police official and a psychologist as members. The committee should meet at least twice a month and discuss the problems the girl students may face.

3. The committee should encourage girl students to bring to its notice any information about a stranger or unidentified person, or about threatening/obscene SMS or e-mail received by them. Immediate steps must be taken to lodge such complaints in the police station.

4. The committee should communicate and build a rapport with the parents of the girl students once or twice a month.

5. The girls should be cautioned against providing their personal details to anyone, including on social networking sites.

6. The campus must be amply lit with street lights and CCTVs must be installed at important points. Two officials must be appointed as incharge of these arrangements.

7. Transport facility must be used by girl students to go to library or other places in the university campus or to go outside the campus and to hostel.

8. College drop and pick up vans must give priority to women staff and girl students. Also, two transport vehicles must be available in the campus.

9. Two lecturers must take turns to go around the campus at the end of the day for inspection.

10. Two lady lecturers must compulsorily accompany the students on educational tours.

11. There must be a 24-hour toll-free helpline for students in the campus security office. A trained person must be appointed to respond promptly to any emergency call made by any student.

12. Hostel wardens must ensure that the students strictly adhere to hostel timings and follow the rules. Details about person or persons who come to take any student out must be noted down. Also, if students have to go out, details about where they are going must also be written down.

13. Details about security guards appointed by the college or by security agency must be recorded in the police station.

14. No security guard can be stationed at the same point for more than a year. The security guard at a spot must be changed at least once in three months.

15. Only those security officers who can go to any spot in the campus without problems should be appointed.