JNU professor faces charges of sexual harassment; dismissed from Pollution Control Authority

The Union Environment Ministry has removed a professor of Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU) from the Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) on the account of sexual harassment charges filed against him. The professor has been accused of sexually harassing eight women students in the University, who later filed complaints seeking his suspension and removal from the JNU campus. The Ministry has also removed another professor of IIT Delhi from the membership of EPCA due to his irregularity in the meetings. The Court has directed JNU's Internal Complaints Committee to complete the investigation of the alleged misconduct of the JNU professor within two weeks. The Court has further directed the JNU professor not to assume control as warden of any women's hostel on the University campus. The JNU professor was arrested in the month of March for sexual harassment charges and is presently out on bail. Sexual harassment is unwelcome behaviour or inappropriate sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, or verbal or physical conduct of sexual nature and is punishable under Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.