SDG 5: Gender Equality

4Policies for women's progress and safety

UPES has clear policies and committees to prevent sexual harassment and discrimination, and makes sure women feel safe on campus.

• Policy. The Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy covers every student and employee and bans discrimination by gender, sexual orientation and marital status.
• Internal Complaints Committee. Handles sexual harassment complaints under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, confidentially and within set time limits.
• Prevention, Monitoring and Gender Sensitization Committee. Women faculty, a woman HR officer and two women students from each school check how safe women feel in classrooms, labs, libraries and hostels, recommend improvements such as better lighting, and work with the Dehradun Police Women Cell.
• Transgender inclusion. The Anti-Discrimination Cell and the Recruitment and Selection Policy protect transgender students and staff from discrimination on grounds including gender and sexual orientation.
• Maternity leave. Women employees get up to 26 weeks of fully paid maternity leave for up to two children, as the Maternity Benefit Act requires, which can be extended by up to six months. There is six weeks of paid leave after a miscarriage, and mothers returning to work get two nursing breaks a day until their child is 15 months old.
• Paternity and adoption leave. Fathers get 15 days of paternity leave, which can be split, within 30 days of a birth or adoption. Adoptive mothers and single fathers get 90 days of paid adoption leave.
• Childcare. Employees with children under six can use the day-care facility on campus, and mothers may visit to care for their children. The creches on the Bidholi and Kandoli campuses are also available to students with young children.
• Safe travel for women staff. Women working after 7:30 pm get a cab home, and women travelling on duty at odd hours get pick-up and drop by UPES cab and, if needed, an extra night's hotel stay.
• Safe to report. UPES's Code of Conduct requires reports of misconduct to be treated confidentially and promises complete protection to complainants against retaliation, and the leave policy forbids discrimination against anyone for using their leave entitlements.
• Training every year. Prevention of sexual harassment training is mandatory for every employee and every Internal Complaints Committee member, held each year face to face and online, and covers the PoSH Act, workplace conduct, reporting and redressal. New employees are also introduced to grievance channels at their HR induction, which reached more than 500 joiners in 2024 and 2025. In addition, the Internal Complaints Committee runs gender sensitisation workshops for staff, new hires and students. Awareness workshops reach interns too.
• Women's groups. The policy sets up women's groups within the university to build a supportive workplace and spot concerns early.
• Easy and fair to complain. Complaints can be made in writing, orally with help from a committee member, or anonymously in a sealed envelope; late complaints can still be heard; a committee member who is connected to a case steps aside; and no settlement may involve money.
• Health care for women. Female doctors are available at the campus medical centres, and sanitary napkin vending machines are installed in girls' hostels.