Odisha: Higher Education Dept Asks Universities to Protect Gender-nonconforming Students from Bullying Harassment | News Room Odisha

Odisha: Higher Education Dept Asks Universities to Protect Gender-nonconforming Students from Bullying Harassment

Bhubaneswar: The Higher Education Department has urged all the universities and colleges to protect gender-nonconforming students from bullying harassment and other forms of violence in their respective campuses.

In compliance of the NHRC advisory regarding ensuring the welfare of transgender persons, the Higher Education Department wrote to registrars of all universities and principals of all degree colleges to take necessary steps in this regard.

“Educational Institutes are requested to protect gender-nonconforming students from bullying harassment or other forms of violence in their respective jurisdictions”, the Department said.

Monitoring committee cells should be formed at educational institutions to address the issues of prejudices, discrimination, sexual abuse, and other violence against transgender persons. To provide Gender neutral facilities in the HEIs, all Educational institutes should take steps for the construction of uni-sex toilets/rest rooms, it added.