New Delhi/Balasore, July 15 — The University Grants Commission (UGC) has constituted a four-member fact-finding panel to investigate the circumstances leading to the tragic self-immolation of a 20-year-old woman student at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Odisha’s Balasore.
The second-year B Ed student, who had accused the college’s Head of Education Department, Samira Kumar Sahu, of sexual harassment, set herself ablaze on the campus on Saturday. She sustained 95% burns and succumbed to her injuries late Monday night at AIIMS Bhubaneswar after battling for her life for about 60 hours.
In a statement on Tuesday, UGC Secretary Sudeep Singh Jain said:
“A four-member panel has been formed to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the availability and effectiveness of factors such as institutional policies, grievance redressal mechanisms, anti-harassment measures adopted, and student support systems.”
The panel, headed by Raj Kumar Mittal, professor at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and UGC member, will also assess whether the college complied with stipulated regulatory provisions and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Other members of the panel include former UGC member Sushma Yadav, former Gujarat University vice-chancellor Neerja Gupta, and UGC Joint Secretary Ashima Mangla.
The incident has sparked outrage and raised questions about the effectiveness of existing systems meant to protect students from harassment and ensure their safety on campuses.
UGC Sets Up Probe Panel After Odisha Student’s Self-Immolation Over Harassment Allegations
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