UGC orders State Universities to Provide List of Gender Champions

The University Grants Commission has given a strict order to the State Universities for providing them with a list of all ‘Gender Champions’ in the universities and colleges. Over the past year, UGC has repeatedly been bringing it to the notice of the State Universities and colleges to provide them with the list, however, the universities have been slacking on the execution of the order. Therefore, UGC has now had to force the universities to make a list of all the gender champions.

UGC has been sending various notifications over the issue and has now finally given it the ‘Top Priority Notice’ tag. In a statement made by an official from one of the state universities, said that the main objective of this move is to create an ambience that will help in promoting equality in the treatment of both girls and boys at the all the different stages. According to the statement of the official, state universities should make the necessary changes in such a way that the changes help in creating an ‘environment where females are treated with dignity and respect’.

The University Grants Commission had also sent a notification with a request to the introduction of Gender Clubs as well as finding out the gaps that have been formed on the basis of gender in the different activities that take place in the colleges as well as schools.

Sources state that all the Vice-Chancellors have been sent a notification requesting them to take action in favour of implementing the step. It was also stated that the gender champion will be seen as the driving force to help facilitate the implementation of equality towards the genders and also ensure that there is respect and dignity for females at the schools, colleges and universities, etc. The Gender Champions will also help in monitoring that there is progress taking place in terms of gender equality.

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As per the notification, the Gender Champions can be anyone above the age of 16 as well as being enrolled in the educational institution, irrespective of their gender. The Gender champions will also be promoting the emergency hotline numbers of the police, woman helpline, medical hotline, etc along with many other activities. The Gender champions will also be writing blogs on various topics of gender equity and other issues as well as talking about the different extraordinary things that have been done by men and women alike.

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The initiative to bring in the Gender Champions has been the collaborative effort of both the Ministry of Human Resource and Development along with the Ministry of Women and Child Development.