POSH case: SC considers mandating states or UTs to create online dashboards giving information of Internal Committees

The Supreme Court in the case Aureliano Fernandes Versus State Of Goa And Others observed in a matter concerning the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Work Place, Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal Act, 2013, POSH Act, indicated that it would direct all the States and Union Territories to prepare an online dashboard containing all the relevant information pertaining to the constitution and members of the Internal Committees, IC of the departments.

The Internal Committees are where the women facing sexual harassment at workplaces can lodge their complaints as per the Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal Act, 2013, POSH Act.

The amicus curiae Advocate Padma Priya submitted before the court that in many cases the constitution of an IC is not in terms of the Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal Act, 2013, POSH Act.

Therefore, in some cases Internal Committees, IC is headed by a male member, which is impermissible under the provisions of the Act.

On the other hand, the Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati submitted before the court that the Union Government is in the process of preparing a dashboard where all the information relating to IC constituted in departments of the Union would be collated and displayed. The said dashboard is still being tried., the Court recorded.