Concerned over increasing harassment of women in educational institutions, Rajasthan Human Rights Commission has directed the State Educational Department and other concerned bodies to comply with the guidelines and norms laid down by the Supreme Court in 1997.

Flooded with complaints by women alleging harassment at work places, the Commission issued the directives on May 11 to education department, Rajasthan Madhyamik Board and Central Board Secondary Education to ensure strict compliance of the Supreme Court's norms in all educational institutions to prevent incidents of harassment, Commission's Chairman Justice N K Jain said.

Justice Jain told PTI that the commission was compelled to issue directives after two schools in Jaipur failed to submit satisfactory reply when the RSHRC sought explanation from them relating to two women who had complained of sexual harassment by their employers.

The commission has been receiving scores of complaints every month from women alleging harassment by their employers.

In 1997, a three member bench of the Supreme Court comprising the then Chief Justice of India Justice J S Verma, Justice Sujata V Manohar and Justice B N Kripal had laid down several guidelines and norms to prevent harassment to women at work during the case of Vishaka versus state of Rajasthan.

The guidelines and norms laid by the apex court include constitution of a complaints committee at work places headed by a woman with not less than half of its members consisting of women. The committee was to deal with complaints of sexual harassment and act accordingly.

The complaints committee also had to submit an annual report to the concerned government department and the actions taken by them,the Apex Court had said.