SPPU panel yet to meet over student harassment

Pune: A week after an international student was harassed by a delivery boy inside her hostel at Savitribai Phule Pune University, the committee set up by the university to investigate the lapses is yet to hold its first meeting.The International Centre of SPPU accommodated around 27 students in a building that lack full-time security and CCTV camera coverage."A seven-member fact-finding committee, chaired by Sangeeta Jagtap, has been convened to conduct a rigorous administrative review," said SPPU vice-chancellor Suresh Gosavi."SPPU has prioritised immediate infrastructure enhancements, such as deployment of full-time security personnel and installation of CCTV cameras," the vice-chancellor said.However, senate member Krushna Bhandalkar said post-incident measures do not mean anything if the person responsible for the lapses is not called out. "The security dept had sent a letter to the International Centre asking for better security measures in this building around six months ago. Why was that ignored? This hostel doesn't even have a drinking water facility so girls have to go out at night to other buildings for water. How is the hostel temporary if the girls have been staying for over a year?"sked about the meeting, Gosavi said, "The committee will hold its first meeting on Monday. It will evaluate the International Centre's oversight and identify systemic gaps."Vijay Khare, director of International Centre, SPPU, however said around 27 international girls were temporarily kept in the building which was formerly teachers quarters as the work on new hostel is going on. "We cannot afford one security for one building hence we had a security guard make rounds of the building. When the incident happened, the staff did not inform me. . Contractual staff are appointed to take care of hostels. We will take action against them," said Khare.