INTRODUCTION
The professional world of work-related activities came into the limelight with the attention received after the #MeToo movement. While the rest of the world is clamouring around the professional world of work-related activities, ignoring the fact that the case of #MeToo and its reception is deeply rooted in the harassment that starts in academic spaces over the years. Harnessing the power of placement cells in universities, the senior-junior mentorship policies, and the highly competitive peer and peer networking aids mould students into mature workers during their campus, and in turn, place them under undue pressure coupled with harassment.
BACKGROUND
The students, and in particular the female students, are presumed to be weakest and are most likely to be subjected to harassment by powerful men such as the members of the placement cell and their senior colleagues. To the students who ignore such problematic behaviours, such as skirted informational interviews, they are bound to be subjected to consequences such as dramatic exclusion from the list of professional candidates. As years go by, this pattern embeds in the minds of the students a culture of silence and complicity, and they grow up to unknowingly and unwittingly comprise this in their professional day-to-day activities.
CAMPUS CULTURES AND THE ORIGINS OF WORKPLACE HARASSMENT
Over the years, this acceptance and silence under pressure, chilled and hushed in a college environment, is a harbinger of harassment inside the workplace. College undergraduates, moved by the enthusiasm of being part of such inexact and vague reporting, call upon the social and professional representation. While harassed, socially active and at times go as far as to say that they have filed complaints, but shift all the blame onto the supposed harassment actors and the targeted social environment.
For instance, a survey at IIT Delhi revealed that out of 70 female hostel residents, 42 reported experiencing some form of harassment, yet only three lodged official complaints. Similarly, online forums such as Reddit contain multiple accounts alleging that seniors or placement committee members in prestigious management institutions use their influence over placements to demand personal favours[1]. Such experiences condition students to suppress their discomfort, creating patterns of compliance that may persist when they enter workplaces.
The culture fostered by serious impropriety and misconduct has unchallenged consequences. What the culture does is create a situation where everyone becomes silent and subdued. The younger years learn very quickly that the only response to raising complaints is to be met with hostile ridicule and direct threats. Many students have spoken about the experiences that have received anonymous warnings, sudden exclusion from mentorship sessions, or being labelled as “problematic” after raising concerns over a wrong. These consequences are in the form of stigma, which is powerful but invisible. This is where students have to mentally calculate that enduring harassment is much better than facing a professional career risk.[2]
Peer networks, despite acting as a useful and helpful channel of collaboration, can sometimes, due to the nature of their peer systems, amplify the chances of violence and discrimination. In a highly competitive academic ecosystem, upperclassmen or committee members hold a vital piece of information that pertains to a company’s shortlist, resume requirements, or even proper interview checklists. There is a segment of the population that suffers, and if they say no, they will be engaging in the unwillingness to grant the above-mentioned metaphorical crucial support. These slow but strong forces act to change one’s actions and commands, which deeply affect their psyche, such as intense anxiety, extreme guilt, and a lack of confidence.
Institutional failures also amplify the problem. In Odisha, a 20-year-old student tragically died by suicide after publicly alleging that her college had ignored her harassment complaint[3]. Investigations revealed that the institution lacked a functioning Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), as mandated by law, and that officials even tried to intimidate her into withdrawing her grievance[4]. Following widespread outrage, the state government issued directives requiring all educational institutions to:
- Establish ICCs,
- Conduct mandatory sensitisation workshops[5] and
- Publicly display ICC contact information to ensure accessibility[6].
LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
India has a defined legal policy to manage sexual harassment issues. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 (POSH Act)[7] covers not only workplaces, but also extends to educational institutions where students undergo placements, internships, or training sessions.
Under the POSH Act:
- Every institution must establish an ICC.
- Details of the ICC must be prominently displayed.
- Annual awareness programmes are mandatory.
- Confidentiality in reporting must be strictly ensured.
These statutory requirements are tied to the celebrated Supreme Court decision in Vishakha v State of Rajasthan (1997)[8]. The Court determined that any form of physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature, including, in the words of the judgment, “harassment in the shape of demands for sexual favours for academic or placement benefits” is unwelcome. It also confirmed the assertion that a right to a safe environment is part of the constitutional right to life and dignity, under Article 21.[9]
SOLUTIONS AND THE WAY FORWARD
Addressing the origins of workplace harassment that begins in colleges is essential for ending workplace harassment. There are three key stakeholders for comprehensive reform.
For Colleges and Universities:
- Establish functional ICCs with compliance auditing for robust oversight.
- Reduce opportunities for coercion by automating the placement processes for colleges and students.
- Conduct mandatory POSH sensitisation programmes before the placement season and at the start of every academic year.[10]
For Students:
- Power-linked coercion of threats, exclusion, favours, etc, is harassment.
- Keep digital or written records of inappropriate behaviours.
- Help peers who come forward to report, attend to the loneliness that often renders victims’ mute.
For Employers:
- Join only with Colleges and Universities that subscribe to anti-harassment policies.
- Ask for proof of compliance with POSH for participating in recruitment exercises.
- Provide POSH-compliant pre-employment training in ethics and harassment policies to all new employees.
CONCLUSION
Sexual harassment is often prevalent and intertwined within cultures and placement systems. It stems from a highly charged environment shaped by significant power dynamics, inadequate oversight, and intertwined vested interests. Legal frameworks such as The POSH Act, supportive reporting structures, and cultures of accountability must be enforced to curb these systems., Institutions can break this dangerous cycle.
Solving the problem of workplace harassment begins with changing academic settings. Students who respect boundaries and are willing to report misconduct are more likely to be supported by the institution. Such students, when they grow, will contribute to a safer and more equitable workplace.
Author(s) Name: Udit Kumar Verma (Law centre – I, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi)
References:
[1] ‘Harassment cases in top IIMs’ (Reddit, 2025) <https://www.reddit.com/r/MBAIndia/comments/1ksqk4m/harassment_cases_in_top_iims/> accessed 26 July 2025
[2] Adetutu D Aina and Preeti Kulshrestha, ‘Sexual Harassment in Educational Institutions in Delhi’ NCR, India: Level of Awareness, Perception and Experience’ (2018) 22 Sexuality & Culture 106 <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318736784_Sexual_Harassment_in_Educational_Institutions_in_Delhi’_NCR_India_Level_of_Awareness_Perception_and_Experience> accessed 26 July 2025
[3] Hemanta Pradhan, ‘Will end life if I don’t get justice: College girl’ The Times of India (14 July 2025) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/will-end-life-if-i-dont-get-justice-college-girl-in-x-post-days-before-setting-self-ablaze/articleshow/122423128.cms> accessed 26 July 2025.
[4] Hemanta Pradhan, ‘Govt probe team finds lapses in Balasore college’s handling of harassment case’ The Times of India (18 July 2025) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/govt-probe-team-finds-lapses-in-balasore-colleges-handling-of-harassment-case/articleshow/122672195.cms> accessed 26 July 2025.
[5] ‘Colleges conduct sensitisation programmes’ The Times of India (18 July 2025) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/colleges-conduct-sensitisation-programmes/articleshow/122672220.cms> accessed 26 July 2025
[6] Hemanta Pradhan, ‘Govt seeks compliance from edu institutes on ICC’ The Times of India (14 July 2025) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/govt-seeks-compliance-from-edu-institutes-on-icc/articleshow/122457696.cms> accessed 26 July 2025
[7] Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013
[8] Vishakha v State of Rajasthan, AIR 1997 SC 3011
[9] Constitution of India, art 21
[10] Nandita Purvi, Anania Singhal and Prachee Bharadwaj, ‘The Crisis of Campus Harassment’ (The Wire, 26 July 2025) <https://thewire.in/article/education/the-crisis-of-campus-harassment> accessed 27 July 2025
