Bhubaneswar- Following the tragic suicide incident at FM College, the Odisha Higher Education Department has tightened its approach to handling harassment complaints in educational institutions. A new directive has been issued mandating all higher education institutions in the state to register and update harassment complaint details on the She-Box portal, an online platform created by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development for addressing sexual harassment cases in workplaces and academic settings.
The directive emphasizes that every college and department-level office must upload details related to their Internal Complaints Committee, along with information on any Local Committee if it exists. Institutions are also required to report the total number of harassment complaints received under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act of 2013 and how many of those complaints have been resolved.
All relevant data must be submitted on the She-Box portal by August 1, 2025, without exception. This move comes in response to public anger and rising concern over the lack of transparency and responsiveness in dealing with cases of mental and sexual harassment, particularly after a student’s life was reportedly lost due to such neglect at FM College.
With this step, the state aims to bring greater accountability and structure to gender-safety mechanisms across all educational institutions. Authorities believe this will help build a safer and more supportive environment for women students, faculty, and staff throughout Odisha.
