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It took more than two years in filing sexual harassment charges against the environmentalist RK Pachauri. With this delay, when are women in Indian workplaces ever going to be safe?
‘Justice delayed is justice denied’ is a popular proverb which touches a chord with anyone who had been wronged and not gotten the support they needed from our law at the right time. This definitely seems to be true for the infamous sexual harassment case against the well-known scientist, RK Pachauri.
A female colleague had complained against him in 2015 of sexual assault. But, it has taken more than two years for the case to see the light of the day in the court.
The #MeToo movement has shown how sexual harassment is a scarily common phenomenon across the globe. It is also an occurrence that women in various industries of the corporate world are subjected to it too.
It has taken generations for women to fight for their rights and start increasing their number in the workforce. After that, every step, every promotion, every pay hike has been a battle for most of them. And, while they are facing these skirmishes, some of them also have to deal with harassment at work place.
Men in higher positions commit this crime with impunity, as they are sure that their power and position will act as a safety barrier for them. They feel secure that even if any of their victims dares to raise her voice, she will not be heard or believed. There have been cases where women have left their work and compromised on their career in order to escape unwanted attention.
It is only after the sensational Tarun Tejpal Sexual Harassment case that companies realized the enormity of the situation and introduced sexual harassment cells in almost all the corporates. However, their effectiveness can be questioned. It is sad, that on one hand our women are sending satellites to the moon, but are vulnerable on their own planet.
Crimes of a sexual nature must be taken seriously. Each crime and the way it’s handled sets a precedent for the future. Hence, delay in such cases bolsters the confidence of potential criminals and another woman’s life is endangered or her autonomy disregarded.
It took Nirbhaya nearly six years to get justice and her case was being handled by a fast track court. Similarly, in both Unnao and Kathua rape cases, the perpetrators are yet to be convicted. There are stringent laws present that will ensure that any crime of this nature is dealt with severely. But, they need to be implemented. If need be, separate courts should be set up to handle such sensitive cases.
Only if the survivors of such crimes get justice and in time, can we hope that there will be no more victims.
Image Source – Flicker, Rajendra Pachauri, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson,PopTech 2011, Camden Maine USA
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Children should be taught to aspire to be successful, but success doesn't have to mean an IIT admission only!
Imagine studying for 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 whole years for the JEE exam only to find out that there’s only a very, very slim chance of getting into an IIT. It is a fact widely acknowledged that the IIT-JEE is one of the toughest exams not just in India but in the whole world. Apart from IITs, the NITs and IIITs of India also accept the JEE scores for admission. There are said to be a total of 23 IITs, 31 NITs and 25 IIITs across the country.
Now, let’s first get a few facts about the IITs right. First, according to the NIRF rankings of 2023, only 17 IITs rank in the top 50 engineering colleges of India and only a few (around 5) IITs are in the list of the world’s top 100 engineering colleges. Second, the dropout rate of IIT-qualifying students stands at least at 20%, with reasons being cited ranging from academic pressure and unmanageable workload to caste discrimination and high levels of competition within the IIT.
So, it’s quite clear that the journey of making it through IIT is as challenging as the journey of getting into an IIT. Third and most important of all, the acceptance rate or the odds of getting into an IIT are below 3% which is a lot lower than the acceptance rate of highly and very highly ranked US universities. Four, getting into an IIT of one’s choice doesn’t mean one will also get into a branch of one’s preference at that IIT.
Dr Nalini Parthasarathi, 79, based in Puducherry has dedicated 30 years of her life caring for people suffering from hemophilia.
It is amazing when a person turns personal adversity into a calling, and extends empathy to make a significant impact in the lives of other people. This has been the life’s journey of Dr Nalini Parthasarathi.
April 17 is World Hemophilia Day. Dr Nalini Parthasarathi, 79, based in Puducherry has dedicated 30 years of her life caring for people suffering from hemophilia. She was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
Hemophilia is a condition where one or more clotting factor is absent leading to bleeding. Severe cases can be life-threatening.
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