By Anuradha Gandhi and Isha Sharma
Introduction
In a significant move reinforcing the seriousness of compliance under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 the Government of Rajasthan had issued a new notification reiterating strict adherence to the provision of the POSH Act across all private establishments, government departments and public sector undertakings.
Compliances under POSH Act
As per the public notice released by the District Collector and District Magistrate of Jaipur, Rajasthan, every institution or unit-whether public or private-employing 10 or more individuals is required:[1]
- To constitute an Internal Committee (IC) at every administrative unit or office where 10 or more personnel are employed, regardless of whether the workplace is a corporate office, public institution, bank or public sector undertaking.
- To display the order of formation of IC at a prominent location within the workplace. The order must contain the names and contact details of the Presiding Officer and the members of the committee.
- To register on the SHe-box portal and submit information about the constituted IC on the portal within a period of 15 days from the date of publication of the notification.
- To organize workshops and awareness programmes on prevention of sexual harassment
- To submit annual reports to the District Collector or Deputy Director, Women Empowerment Department.
The notification further warns that in the event of non-compliance, penal consequences as per the provisions of the POSH Act shall be imposed.
Key Support Services
The notification also brings attention several contact details of dedicated support centres available in Jaipur:
- One Stop Center: offering 24×7 services including free counselling, medical aid, legal aid, police assistance and temporary shelter facilities for women suffering from any kind of violence;
- Women Helpline Number-181: Available 24 hours for consultation and emergency support to women/girls
- Pannadhay Information and Respect Center/Tere Mere Sapne (Pre-marital Dialogue Center): This Center is being run in the Collectorate Complex, Jaipur to listen to the mental, physical, economic and social problems of women of urban and rural areas, to resolve the problems and to provide counselling facility and to provide pre-marital guidance to individual couples on mental health, gender equality and communication in marriage and conflict resolutions
- Women Safety and Advice Centre: offering counselling services, medical, police and legal facilities free of cost to women victims of of harassment or violence.
This initiative by the Government of Rajasthan is a strong reminder that POSH Compliance is not merely a formality but a statutory obligation-and states are now increasingly taking active measures to ensure that organizations align their practices with the law