Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs), mandated under UGC regulations, are meant to provide students and staff a safe, fair system to report sexual harassment. But in practice, many fail to deliver justice.

The tragic suicide of a Balasore student highlights the dangers of biased investigations. Experts note several loopholes: some colleges mask ICCs under vague names like “Women Welfare Committee”, others avoid publicising details of committee members, violating legal requirements. Many cases remain pending, with complainants left in the dark despite clear UGC timelines.

Student representatives, supposed to be elected, are often handpicked by faculty—weakening accountability. External members, meant to ensure fairness, are sometimes chosen only for paperwork, lacking commitment to gender justice.

Advocate B.S. Ajeetha, who has served on multiple ICCs, stresses that effective committees need strong external members willing to resist pressure, regular awareness drives, and strict monitoring. She suggests mandatory dissemination of ICC details during admissions and oversight by State Women’s Commissions to ensure compliance.

For ICCs to truly work, institutions must move beyond tokenism and empower members to act without fear. Only then can campuses become safer spaces where victims are heard and justice is delivered.