A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking a list of educational institutions and organizations that have formed sexual harassment prevention committees.
Supreme Court lawyer Fawzia Karim Firoze filed the writ petition on Sunday with the related High Court section.
A total of 21 people were made respondents to the petition, including the: secretaries of Home Affairs, and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; vice chancellor of National University; and chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The writ also sought the High Court's directives, addressed to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs—and the related parliamentary standing committee—to take necessary initiatives to enact a sexual harassment prevention law.
Previously, in May 2009, the High Court issued guidelines to help prevent sexual harassment at educational institutions and in workplaces.
The court had ruled—in its verdict—that complaint committees should be formed in all public and private sector workplaces and at educational institutions to receive complaints and conduct investigations.
It had also asked all the universities to undertake awareness-raising programs on sexual harassment, including holding seminars and debates.