25 cases of sexual harassment reported in JNU: Smriti Irani tells Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: Twenty five cases of sexual harassment were reported from the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 2013-2014, the highest among 104 higher education institutions from where such matters were reported according to University Grants Commission ( UGC) data.

During the period from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015, there were 15 cases of sexual harassment reported in Banaras Hindu University ( BHU), Varanasi and 10 cases in Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Allahabad.

Nine cases were reported from King George's Medical University, Lucknow. There were 8 such cases reported in University of Mumbai and Viswa Bharati, Santi Niketan, Birbhum during this period.

These details were shared in the Lok Sabha by Human Resource Development (HRD) minister Smriti Irani, who in a written reply to a member's question said that as per UGC, there were 295 cases of sexual harassment that have been reported during 2014-15 in various institutes of higher learning.

"As per University Grants Commission (UGC), 295 cases of sexual harassment have been reported during 2014-15 in various institutes of higher learning against women," Irani said.

The All India Council for Technical Education ( AICTE) has also reported two cases of sexual harassment against women, she said.