ASCI Professor Tells HC Contract Ended After Harassment Complaint

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court heard a writ petition filed by a professor of the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad, challenging the refusal of the institution to extend her employment contract. The petitioner alleged that the action was retaliatory and stemmed from a sexual harassment complaint that she had lodged against the institution's chairman.

The single judge bench of Justice Kaja Sarath took up the matter and adjourned the case to June 22 for hearing.

The petitioner, who joined ASCI as an assistant professor in December 2010 and serves as a professor, alleged that she was subjected to sexual harassment by the chairman. She claimed that several employees had previously raised complaints of workplace harassment against him.

The professor contended that the institution's internal complaints committee was not constituted in accordance with the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. Consequently, she approached the National Commission for Women in October 2024 seeking redressal of her grievance.

Following the complaint, she alleged, the institution began sidelining her by denying official assignments and depriving her of work opportunities. She stated that while professors at the institution were ordinarily granted contract extensions of two years, her tenure was extended for only six months, which she described as a punitive measure linked to her complaint.

She also challenged the institution's claim that her contract was not renewed due to poor performance. Referring to her service record, she asserted that she had consistently performed well and generated more than Rs 1.87 crore in revenue for the institution during the 2024-25 financial year, far exceeding the prescribed targets.