Campus Watch
Teacher in Shimla Booked, Suspended over Alleged Sexual Harassment of Eight Students, Remains Absconding
Shimla-A teacher of Geography at Government Senior Secondary School, Tikkar, in Rohru, Shimla district, was booked by the local police for alleged sexual harassment of girl students. On Wednesday, the alleged lecturer was also suspended. The Director of Higher Education, Dr Amarjeet Kumar Sharma, confirmed the report.
The lecturer was identified as Sanjay Deshta- a national award winner. He was awarded in 2017 while he was posted at the Government Senior Secondary Boys School, Shimla, (Lalpani).
A case has been filed under Section 351 A of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on the complaint of the Principal and the Sexual Harassment Committee of the school.
Reportedly, on October 23, 2019, some girl students of the school had approached female teachers with a complaint that the said lecturer used to call them in the laboratory, take selfies with them forcefully, touch them inappropriately, and ask them to watch explicit multimedia content on his cellphone. The matter reached the principal, who referred the case to the sexual harassment committee of the school. The committee probed the case and received written complaints from eight students of different classes. Following it, the principal had informed the local police on October 25, 2019.
The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rohru, Sunil Negi, confirmed that a case has been filed against the teacher and efforts were being made to arrest him. However, the teacher was yet to be arrested as he remains absconding. In this case, the local police has been alleged of delay in filing an FIR despite the fact that the case was highly sensitive as it pertained to harassment of minor students.
Along with the suspension, the Director has also ordered a probe by a high-level committee under the supervision of Deputy Director, Education. The committee would file its findings to the Director and the State government within three days.
The Director also said that a committee will also be formed to take a decision over striping the alleged lecturer of the awards he was conferred at the state and national level.
The safety of children, especially girls inside educational institutes still remain a critical problem that requires more attention from the state government.
In May 2019, the principal of a government school in Badsar of Hamirpur district was booked over sexual harassment of a 16-year-old minor girl.
In May 2018, a teacher posted at the government middle school, Mayfield, Shimla, was dismissed from government services by the Department of Elementary Education after he was found guilty of sexual harassment of class-VI girl student. He was found to be a repeated offender.
In April 2018, a chemistry teacher employed at a private college in Hamirpur district was booked under POCSO Act for alleged sexual assault on one of his minor students. A video of students thrashing the teacher was widely circulated on social media.
In September 2017, Himachal was shocked after three staff members -cook, clerk/accountant, and sweeper- of a Balika Ashram (child protection home for girls) situation in Chilli of Tissa region in Chamba district were arrested for alleged sexual harassment of six girls
Other than ensuring the safety of children, there is a dire need to recruit professional child counsellors. Traumatized minor victims of such cases always require counselling, which could involve several sessions. Also, counsellors offer a safer environment where children would be more comfortable to come ahead and speak of such sensitive problems.
Recently, Centre’s Novodya Vidyalaya recruited professional counsellors for the majority of its schools in India, which is an appreciable step. The state governmnet in Himachal Pradesh should also consider doing the same in its government schools.
Solan: Naincy Sagar, an alumna of Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni has bagged a fellowship for pursuing PhD from France. Nancy has reached France and will be pursuing PhD in Forest Genetics from the University of Orléans under INRAE fellowship. INRAE is France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Naincy has completed her BSc Forestry from College of Horticulture and Forestry (COH&F), Neri in 2018 and MSc Forest Biology and Tree Improvement and Genetic Resources from UAS, Dharwad, under ICAR’s National Talent Scheme. Before leaving for France last week, Naincy was working as a Junior Research Fellow in a research project at COH&F, Neri.
She had applied for a PhD with a scholarship in Forest Genetics which was advertised by INRAE. Naincy was successful in the interview and was awarded a fellowship for three years for pursuing PhD at the University of Orléans. During the course of the PhD, she will receive a total scholarship of around Rs 70 lakh along with medical reimbursement. Naincy will be working on forest tree larch species in the Project titled ‘Vigour at what cost? ‘Trade-off’ of hybrid vigour in Larch-Phenological, morphological and physiological determinants of hybrid superiority in Larix X eurolepis’ with a team of 20 scientists of Joint Integrated Biology Research Unit having expertise in genetics, genomics and physiology for the enhancement of tree and forest diversity
Dr. Parvinder Kaushal, Vice-Chancellor of the university spoke to Naincy via web conferencing and congratulated her. Dr. Kaushal, who has also done his doctorate from France, shared some tips and suggestions. He asked Naincy to explore this opportunity to learn about new cultures along with doing research that could help to enhance and conserve forest wealth in the future.
Naincy expressed gratitude towards her father Satya Prakash Sagar (Retd. SDO BSNL) and mother Monika Sagar, who is working as SDO in BSNL for their continuous support for higher studies. She also thanked Vice-Chancellor Dr. Parvinder Kaushal, Dean Dr. Kamal Sharma and Dr. Dushyant Sharma, Project Investigator and all the university staff for their support and guidance. The university administration, Dean of COH&F Neri congratulated Naincy and wished her success.
Shimla-Dates for admissions to undergraduate courses for the session 2021-22 in colleges affiliated to Himachal Pradesh University has been extended, which has come as a relief to not only those students who were seeking fresh enrollments in the first year but also to the students of the second and third year.
The varsity informed that the decision was taken after considering requests received from various students regarding the same.
Now, willing students can apply for enrollment in both government and private colleges till 5 PM, October 25, 2021.
This extension of date would benefit students who recently passed supplementary exams or those students of the second and third-year who had missed admission due to delay in declaration of their previous results.
Solan– Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni, has extended the last date for applying to various Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Doctoral programmes in Horticulture, Forestry, Biotechnology, Agribusiness and Business Management. Applicants can submit their complete online application on the university’s admission portal till 18th October.
The normal seats of BSc (Hons) Horticulture, BSc (Hons) Forestry and B Tech Biotechnology will be filled on the basis of scorecard of ICAR-AIEEA (UG) 2021.
Admissions to MSc, MBA (Agribusiness) and PhD (for normal and self-financing seats) will also be conducted on the scorecard of ICAR AIEEA (PG) and AICE-JRF/SRF respectively. Students who have appeared in the ICAR-AIEEA 2021 for UG and PG, or AICE-JRF/SRF examination and are interested in seeking admission, such students must fill the university online application form before 18th October. Undergraduate aspirants who have not appeared in the ICAR test can however apply for the self-financing seats for B Sc and B Tech Biotechnology programmes run by the university by filling the online application on the university website.
The university has also advised the registered candidates to submit complete online application forms along with online payment acknowledgement slip before the due date. The schedule for online counselling will be announced by the University on the website after the declaration of the ICAR examination result. Application forms other than online mode will not be accepted.
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