Bengaluru: Keep girls safe, PU Department tells colleges

Bengaluru: With the SSLC examination results coming out recently, the Pre University Department is busy with first PU admissions, and has come out with a set of directions for colleges.

The department has stated that the colleges should take strict measures to protect girl students from sexual abuse. The guidelines state that a security guard should not be in the same post at a girl's hostel for more than three months and college principals should hold meetings with police inspectors from area police stations every month.

The guidelines state that all colleges should share details of girl students with the local police stations and set up women welfare committees comprising women staff of the college, faculty, activists and parents. The committee should meet every month.

College authorities have been told to create awareness among girl students on sharing their personal details on social media websites and mobile phones. The department also wants the police to regularly patrol areas that are deserted.

A college principal told Deccan Chronicle, “All of us have been told to meet the inspector of jurisdictional police stations once a month to monitor various issues related to the safety of girl students."

An officer from the department said that the circular was first issued in 2015. “But since then following the reports of sexual abuse of girl students in PU college hostels, including one shooting incident in a Bengaluru college, this circular is now updated and reissued every year, along with admission procedure. We are strictly following all the guidelines as it involves the life of students," he said.